Toto Wolff highlights Mercedes weakness in ‘just not good enough’ admission
Race starts had to be an area to focus on improvement suggested Toto Wolff.
Toto Wolff has branded Mercedes’ race starts “not good enough”, admitting they are the only front-running team consistently losing ground off the line.
After qualifying on pole position for the third grand prix in succession, Kimi Antonelli was again quickly overtaken by the flying Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, and although the Italian was able to recover to win the race, Wolff wants to fix that glaring Achilles’ heel.
Toto Wolff: Mercedes race starts ‘not good enough’
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This season has seen Ferrari dominate the race starts, with its rumoured smaller turbo allowing it to achieve optimal launch configuration more easily than its rival power units.
The launch issue relates to Formula 1’s decision to remove the MGU-H from this year’s new engines, making it harder for drivers to spool up the turbo.
The four-week break, though, seems to have allowed McLaren and others to move to a similar level of performance to Ferrari off the line.
Meanwhile, Mercedes, which was one of a few teams not to bring significant upgrades to its car in Miami, finds itself constantly looking in its rear-view mirrors when launching off the line.
That, says Wolff, is “just not good enough”.
“I think today and yesterday was a team mistake,” Wolff told media including PlanetF1.com on Sunday. “We all know it’s just not good enough. We’re not doing a good enough job in giving them a tool in their hands and we are the only ones who, let’s say, don’t get that right now for a few races.
“And we just have to dig even deeper and to try to understand how we can fix that. The gaps are not big enough to cruise into the sunset, and therefore you can’t be missing starts.”
Antonelli meanwhile spoke in similar terms, saying it was “not acceptable” and that with the gaps “a lot closer”, the team needed to find a solution.
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Although the Italian has lined up on pole position for three grands prix in succession, he has not once been P1 into Turn 1.
“Today, to be fair, was not as bad,” he said after his third consecutive victory. “I think I lost two places, Sprint I lost six, so a little bit better.
“But still, no, it’s not acceptable. I think especially in a weekend like this, that the gaps are a lot closer, it can really change the race.
“So, I think it’s a point where also together with the team we need to [fix it], because yesterday, for example, in the Sprint, procedure-wise it was good, but just the grip level that we thought there was, was just not there.
“So, I think also with the team, but for sure mainly from me, because I’m still a little bit inconsistent, especially on clutch drop.
“But I still don’t have that confidence, being consistent with that. I still have a bit of uncertainty, so it’s a big point that needs to be improved.
“But I think today I managed it better than yesterday.
“Yesterday I was very frustrated and today I just kept it a bit cool, a bit better, and just managed to move on and focus about the race.”
Antonelli, who has converted all of his grand prix pole positions into race wins, leads the Drivers’ Championship on 100 points, 20 ahead of George Russell with Charles Leclerc in third a further 21 off the pace.
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
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