Wolff: No finger-pointing over Mercedes F1 car or engine struggles
Mercedes Formula 1 chief Toto Wolff says there will be no finger-pointing at one single area of Mercedes’ car or engine amid its early struggles this season.
After winning the last eight F1 constructors’ championships, Mercedes has endured a difficult start to the new regulations in 2022, failing to fight for victory at either of the first two races.
Lewis Hamilton finished third in Bahrain after both Red Bull cars retired in the closing stages, but could only muster 10th in Saudi Arabia. The seven-time world champion recovered to score a point after he was eliminated in Q1 for the first time since 2017 on Saturday.
Teammate George Russell finished fifth behind the Ferrari and Red Bull cars in Saudi Arabia, leaving Mercedes F1 chief Wolff to say the current “painful” form was an “exercise in humility” for Mercedes after so much success.
Mercedes’ primary struggle has been the extreme porpoising its car experiences at high speed, which Russell said was responsible for “99%” of the team’s problems.
But the Mercedes-powered teams have also been struggling for straight-line speed at times compared to those running Ferrari and Red Bull-badged power units. In Bahrain, the three Mercedes customer teams filled out the bottom six positions from the classified finishers, while just one out of eight Mercedes-powered cars reached Q3 in Saudi Arabia.
Wolff felt it was important for Mercedes not to try and apportion blame to any single area of the car or engine, but to focus on how it could recover.
“I think it's important now not to just point the finger at individual areas of the car,” Wolff said when asked about Mercedes’ engine performance by Motorsport.com.
“We operate together as a team, and I think we have deficits overall that are bigger than an engine deficit.
“Now we just all have to grab each other by the scruff of the neck and, with all our strength, pull ourselves out of this mess." Toto Wolff
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
“Are we among the top teams in any of these areas? No, I don't think so. But you have to remember that this engine has helped us win eight championships in a row.
“Now we just all have to grab each other by the scruff of the neck and, with all our strength, pull ourselves out of this mess."
Mercedes already sits 40 points adrift of Ferrari at the top of the constructors’ championship after the opening two races, while Hamilton is 29 points off early drivers’ standings leader Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton said after the race in Saudi Arabia that talk of the title felt “a long way off” and that Mercedes was “still far off the guys who are ahead, and we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Binotto: Leclerc driving like someone who can win F1 title
Bottas: Strong Alfa Romeo F1 form is “best case scenario”
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1?
Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1? Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1?
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
The hidden details behind Mercedes’ upgraded W14 F1 car
The hidden details behind Mercedes’ upgraded W14 F1 car The hidden details behind Mercedes’ upgraded W14 F1 car
Mercedes still needs to dial out “nasty” rear end of F1 car
Mercedes still needs to dial out “nasty” rear end of F1 car Mercedes still needs to dial out “nasty” rear end of F1 car
The bigger answer Mercedes needs from its now delayed F1 upgrades
The bigger answer Mercedes needs from its now delayed F1 upgrades The bigger answer Mercedes needs from its now delayed F1 upgrades
F1 rivals will struggle to copy RB19 floor, says Red Bull
F1 rivals will struggle to copy RB19 floor, says Red Bull F1 rivals will struggle to copy RB19 floor, says Red Bull
WRC Rally Sardinia: Everything you need to know
WRC Rally Sardinia: Everything you need to know WRC Rally Sardinia: Everything you need to know
Why McLaren’s shock tech signing points to a new F1 approach
Why McLaren’s shock tech signing points to a new F1 approach Why McLaren’s shock tech signing points to a new F1 approach
Sidecar passenger banned from 2023 Isle of Man TT after failed drug test
Sidecar passenger banned from 2023 Isle of Man TT after failed drug test Sidecar passenger banned from 2023 Isle of Man TT after failed drug test
Why the highlight of F1 2023 so far should end Monaco's calendar slot debate
Why the highlight of F1 2023 so far should end Monaco's calendar slot debate Why the highlight of F1 2023 so far should end Monaco's calendar slot debate
Monaco Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023
Monaco Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023 Monaco Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023
Why Alonso and Aston made the call that guaranteed Verstappen's Monaco victory
Why Alonso and Aston made the call that guaranteed Verstappen's Monaco victory Why Alonso and Aston made the call that guaranteed Verstappen's Monaco victory
The factors for and against a Red Bull upset in F1’s Monaco GP
The factors for and against a Red Bull upset in F1’s Monaco GP The factors for and against a Red Bull upset in F1’s Monaco GP
What Aston Martin's Honda deal reveals about its true F1 mindset
What Aston Martin's Honda deal reveals about its true F1 mindset What Aston Martin's Honda deal reveals about its true F1 mindset
Would Hamilton really be a worthwhile F1 investment for Ferrari?
Would Hamilton really be a worthwhile F1 investment for Ferrari? Would Hamilton really be a worthwhile F1 investment for Ferrari?
Why the growing pains of F1’s cost-cap era require patience
Why the growing pains of F1’s cost-cap era require patience Why the growing pains of F1’s cost-cap era require patience
Has F1 gone too far with its sprint race format tweaks?
Has F1 gone too far with its sprint race format tweaks? Has F1 gone too far with its sprint race format tweaks?
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.