Mercedes concede to 'out of step' status as major F1 war resumes

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has admitted his team is “out of step” when it comes to the ongoing F1 development war.

The Brackley-based sprung out of the gates in strong fashion earlier this year with six consecutive victories to start off the campaign.

While it has remained competitive in the rounds that followed, it has been handed a more significant challenge of late, with Ferrari and McLaren getting themselves on the top step of the podium.

Mercedes' technical director James Allison detailed that the decisions the team took when constructing the car have had a knock-on effect, resulting in its advantage being eliminated as the season wore on.

It's a situation Wolff concurred with, with the Austrian stating: “We have left points on the table, our rivals have reduced the performance gap, and we know the second half of the year will demand more from us than the first. 

“The championships will be decided by execution and the rate of development we can bring to the car across the next 12 races. 

“Whilst we are slightly out of step with upgrades compared to our rivals, we have more performance to unlock and a clear development plan to do so. 
 
The season will get back underway this weekend from Zandvoort, a track Mercedes has not won at since it re-joined the schedule in 2021.

With this weekend's outing being the final Dutch GP for the foreseeable future, Wolff has set his sights on getting the team on the top step of the podium.

“Zandvoort has been a unique challenge since its return,” he said. “It is a difficult track to master, the fans create an incredible atmosphere, and it has become a race that the teams and drivers look forward to. 

“We have come close but never won there in the modern era. This is our final opportunity to change that, and that's a challenge we would like to meet.”