Wolff admits he expected worse from Mercedes during qualifying

Toto Wolff expected worse from Mercedes in Monaco, despite the Constructors' World Champions only being able to secure sixth and eighth on the starting grid. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both complained of bouncing of a different kind after weeks spent searching for the cure for porpoising. That problem was eradicated, the team say, thanks to updates ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. But at the Circuit de Monaco, the stiff W13 was failing to ride the bumps. When asked if Monaco was the worst possible destination for Mercedes' mending car, Wolff told select members of the media, including RacingNews365.com : "Pretty much, yes. "You can say: 'What are the lessons that we've learned in Barcelona and how do they apply to Monaco?'. The answer is that there's just nothing you can apply to Monaco, because it's so different. "Every lap looks different and the car behaviour changes."

Wolff honest about where Mercedes are

Despite seeing Lando Norris snatch the crown for best of the rest with his P5 lap, Wolff says Mercedes' qualifying session played out better than he had expected it to. Russell will start the race on the third row with Hamilton – who fell foul of the late red flag – a row behind him. "I don't know whether this is now me self-managing my expectations, but I would say that us being here, where we are with George, is better than what I would have expected for Monaco," Wolff admitted. "But, of course, we can't be happy with such a performance. This is where we are and it could have been worse, in my opinion."