Toto Wolff has issued an update on Mercedes' push to return to the front of the grid ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were subject to yet more severe bouncing in Baku last time out but fought through the pain to capitalise on a double retirement for Ferrari to score third and fourth-placed finishes. Hamilton trialled an experimental part, the team have confirmed, that left him nursing back pain following the chequered flag. But Mercedes are finding positives in their sublime reliability, as the only team yet to suffer a retirement. "Baku was a tricky weekend for us, particularly with the bouncing issues, but we really maximised the opportunities that came our way and left Azerbaijan with a solid collection of points," Wolff said, ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. "We benefited from the misfortune of others, but reliability is an important factor in Formula 1 and there's no shortage of hard work at Brackley and Brixworth behind getting both cars to the finish line."
Fighting spirit will bring team back to the front, says Wolff
Wolff says he was impressed by the fight shown by his team as they once again secured a strong result on a sub-optimal weekend. "We once again found ourselves clear of the midfield in terms of pace, but a chunk behind the top two teams. We're working flat out to close that gap," he continued. "But with an underperforming package, I loved seeing the fight in the team to pull together and get us the best result possible with the tools at hand. That spirit will bring us back competing at the front."
Mercedes expecting unique challenge in Montreal
Mercedes are expecting another bouncy weekend in Montreal but the circuit, that has not been raced on in over three years, will offer a unique challenge, says Wolff. "Having not been to Montreal since 2019, we're all excited to return. It's a wonderful city and the Canadian fans are very passionate about F1," he said. "The track is a unique challenge, with chicanes separated by long straights. "We're looking forward to seeing what the weekend has in store and hope we can take a step forward."
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