Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insists his team are “back in the game” after a strong showing at Silverstone but admits this weekend at Red Bull’s home track in Austria is “always a little bit difficult.”
Wolff has overseen a period of domination with Mercedes having won eight straight constructors’ championships from 2014-2021, but amid new regulations for this season Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have struggled for top results so far in 2022.
The W13 has been troubled by porpoising and bouncing throughout the early stages of this season, but two recent podium finishes for Hamilton in Montreal and Silverstone have given cause for optimism as we reach the half-way stage of the campaign in Austria this weekend – the second sprint weekend of the season too.
The Red Bull Ring is the home track for Christian Horner’s team and while Wolff believes Mercedes have made progress in recent weeks, he acknowledged that the circuit in Spielberg has not alaways suited the Silver Arrows in the past.
“We were ‘back in the game’ at Silverstone but that doesn’t mean it will be again [in Austria],” Wolff said.
“We have had in Barcelona moments of where we saw some light at the end of the tunnel and then the next three street circuits proved that we were wrong, so I don’t want to talk us up, nor be too optimistic at this stage.”
“I think Austria was always a little bit difficult. There’s a few corners that we don’t like. It’s a very different track to Silverstone and one that hasn’t always suited us in the past.”
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have struggled for top results this season (Mercedes-AMG/PA Media)
(PA Media)
After 10 races, Mercedes are third in the Constructors’ Standings behind Red Bull and Ferrari, 124 and 61 points behind respectively.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton is languishing sixth in the Drivers Standings while George Russell – who prior to his retirement at Silverstone had finished in the top-five of every race this season – is fifth.
Max Verstappen won last year’s Austrian Grand Prix and the world champion is looking to extend his lead at the top of the standings this year and is set to race in front of a buoyant pro-Red Bull fanbase.
Source: Independent
