Toto Wolff believes Mercedes' rivals didn't make the most of their problems at Imola as the team head into the Portuguese Grand Prix atop both the drivers' and constructors' championship. Lewis Hamilton came home second at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix after battling back from a mistake that almost ended his race, though Valtteri Bottas wasn't as lucky as a crash with George Russell ended his race. Despite the ups and downs in Italy, Wolff was pleased Mercedes kept things under control as they limited the damage. "Imola was a crazy race and the kind of grand prix that lives long in the memory: there were so many ups and downs and there were a few moments where it felt like we wouldn't score any points at all," Wolff said via a Mercedes press release. "It was a rollercoaster of emotions, from the disappointment of Valtteri's scary accident to the thrill of Lewis' recovery drive. "To come away leading both Championships almost felt like a get out of jail free card, because our rivals didn't maximise the opportunity we gave them. And it just proves what a challenging season we have ahead of us and how quickly things can turn around in Formula 1. F1 travels to Portimao for the Portuguese Grand Prix this weekend, and Wolff expects the fight to be close as teams still learn the finer points of the track. "Last year was our first race in Portimão," Wolff added. "It's an exciting, undulating track and produced some great racing in 2020; we also saw in qualifying and the opening laps that getting the tyres working properly is not easy. "It's still quite a new circuit for everyone, which should make things interesting and mean we are learning all through the weekend. We're expecting another close fight with Red Bull, and both McLaren and Ferrari could also be in the mix too. "So, let's see how things play out in Portugal."
Most read
