In the aftermath of Bahrain’s Grand Prix, Toto Wolff expressed dismay over Mercedes’ lackluster performance, citing unforeseen cooling issues as a significant hindrance.
Toto Wolff expressed frustration that Mercedes F1 did not demonstrate more pace at Bahrain during the season’s opening Grand Prix.
The team principal pointed out that an underestimated cooling issue compounded the team’s challenges, but the pace was lacking regardless.
“It’s strange because cooling cost us a lot. But the pace was worse than expected,” Wolff admitted. “We’ve learned a lot but still don’t understand why the pace was so slow. The data will provide an answer, but this is where we are, the third team behind Ferrari and Red Bull, light years away from Max.”
When asked about his optimism, he stated he prefers to remain skeptical: “Even when we were winning consecutively, I was not optimistic! We need to keep a ‘glass half empty’ mindset to get out of this situation.”
Things had started well for Mercedes: “Everything was fine in qualifying and at the start of the race. But then we had a temperature issue with the engine, we had to reduce power, and we were losing five-tenths. So, the tires couldn’t maintain temperature, and it’s a vicious circle,” Wolff acknowledged to Canal+.
“We’re disappointed with what we saw, but we need to analyze how much performance we lost during the race due to the car’s cooling, and I hope it will show that we were closer to Sainz and Pérez.”
Mercedes F1 Struggles: Cooling Woes Unveiled by Wolff f1 2024 Bahrain GP. Mercedes F1 Struggles: Cooling Woes Unveiled by Wolff f1 2024 Bahrain GP
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