Toto Wolff: Mercedes ‘left too much on the table recently’ as rivals close in
Mercedes tops both championships, but Toto Wolff wants more from his team.
Toto Wolff has said Mercedes has not made the most of its overall potential in recent races, with reliability issues having caused the team to drop points.
Both Kimi Antonelli and George Russell have suffered power unit-related retirements this season, while late damage to Antonelli at Silverstone cost him a chance of victory in the British Grand Prix.
Toto Wolff: Mercedes has ‘left too much on the table recently’
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Russell took a podium finish last time out at Silverstone, but a slow start from pole for Antonelli saw both Ferraris leapfrog him on track.
However, despite a slow puncture being rectified at Russell’s stop, damage on the front-left of Antonelli’s car saw him forced to pit a second time and, with a five-second time penalty at the Safety Car finish, he dropped out of the points entirely.
Both Mercedes drivers are first and second in the Drivers’ standings, with a healthy lead in the Constructors’ table, but team principal and CEO Wolff is not wanting to let up – with the gap to third-placed Lewis Hamilton at 32 points ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
With that, comes the need to “execute cleanly” before the summer break.
“The last few races have underlined both where our strengths are and where we need to improve,” Wolff said ahead of the weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.
“We have a car capable of fighting at the front and scoring heavily, but we have not converted that potential into the best possible results.
“Reliability issues have cost us points, and in a championship this competitive, that is something we cannot afford. There is no value in having the pace if we don’t bring home the result.
“Spa is one of the great challenges on the calendar. Like Silverstone, energy management will play an important role, but the characteristics of the circuit create different demands.
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“It usually produces exciting racing and genuine overtaking opportunities, while qualifying remains a significant test.
“This is the final double-header before the summer shutdown and we want to head into the break on a stronger note. Our aim is to execute cleanly, deliver the reliability we need, and convert the performance of the car into the points it is capable of scoring.
“We have left too much on the table recently. We need to make sure that doesn’t happen again starting this weekend.”
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