Mercedes’ comeback?

George Russell, Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (Image: Getty Images)

Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ team principal, has provided a cautious but optimistic assessment of Mercedes’ progress as they fight to utilise the most of their W14 package while also trying to push across a brand new concept change for their car.

Mercedes has shown in the first two races of the 2023 season that they have only the fourth-best car in terms of qualifying pace and either the fourth or fifth-best in race pace. Wolff admitted that the team went down a “dead-end street” in terms of their development for the 2023 season but are now working “flat-out” on trying to get back to the front of the grid.

After the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where both Russell and Hamilton finished P4 and P5 respectively, Wolff’s idea of where the team sat in terms of the entire grid changed and also stated what the future holds for Mercedes.

Toto Wolff during Saudi Arabia press conference (Image: Getty Images)

Wolff said: “The progress we saw in Saudi Arabia was encouraging. We maximised the package we had and scored some solid points.

“More importantly, we continued to learn and understand more about the W14 and our development direction. Everyone back at base has been hard at work to turn these learnings into performance.

“The signs we are seeing back at the factory are promising. We have got to take it step by step, though, and won’t get carried away until we see performance translated into lap time on track.

“The competitive order behind Red Bull is tight, with small margins having a big effect on points scored. There remains a significant gap to the front and that is ultimately what we are interested in closing.”

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton during the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix (Image: Getty Images)

Wolff and the team’s goal for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix are to score another set of good points to help keep their fight in the constructors championship alive. Mercedes currently sits third with 38 points, tied with Aston Martin and 49 points behind leader Red Bull.

Wolff stated that: “Albert Park is a circuit with unique characteristics, which we will have to work hard to adapt to with the W14. As always, we will look to maximise the car we have, and score as many points as our potential currently allows.

“We are not where we want to be – but that won’t stop us from racing hard and giving it everything we’ve got.”