Mercedes' Mexico tyre struggles not down to new wheel rims

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff insists that the team's severe tyre problems were not down to the absence of the new wheel rims, as the Silver Arrows limped to P4 and P5 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Ferrari had complained about Mercedes' new wheel rims after the United States Grand Prix, saying that the little holes in the new rim design were illegal. The FIA told the Italian team that the design was perfectly legal, but Mercedes still went back to the old design as a precaution for a potential fine or penalty.

In Mexico, without the new design, Mercedes visibly struggled with tyre management, with Valtteri Bottas having to stop as much as three times despite being on a one-stop strategy initially. Lewis Hamilton also complained often during the race, but Wolff denies that the struggles were because of the absence of the new wheel rim design.

“I have no explanation and we will be asking for an explanation because these swings are just… difficult," he told RaceFans.

“The biggest problem today was the front-left. It was nothing to do with it [the rim design].

“I don’t think that we had one single lap where we actually switched the tyre on.

“I don’t think that our car drove the tyre."