F1 Hungarian Grand Prix: Toto Wolff delivers scathing Mercedes verdict following shock exit

Toto Wolff talking to the press at Silverstone — Photo: © IMAGO

Hungarian Grand Prix

Wolff delivers scathing Mercedes verdict following shock exit

Toto Wolff was not happy after Mercedes' qualifying performance

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 21 July 2024 10:57

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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has described a 'total underperformance' following a poor qualifying for his two drivers at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton, fresh off the back of a stunning victory at the British GP, could only put his car in fifth, while George Russell was knocked out in the first session of qualifying in interchanging conditions.

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Russell was caught out by a poor first lap following a restart to the session in drier conditions and will start Sunday's race down in 17th.

Following a red flag caused by Sergio Perez's huge shunt into the barriers, the track surface had dried, sparking all 20 cars to head back out in a rush to get a lap time in amid better conditions.

Russell's first lap after the restart was only enough to put him into 15th position, but when attempting to do more laps, he was frustrated to find his Mercedes car without sufficient fuel, and was ultimately eliminated.

George Russell suffered a difficult qualifying in Hungary

Toto Wolff was left disappointed by his team's performance in Hungary

Wolff unhappy with Mercedes team

After qualifying, Wolff acknowledged his team's basic mistake in not fuelling Russell's car for another lap, but said he believed Russell had to take some responsibility.

The British driver's first two laps of the session were poor and left him in a position where he needed to attempt more laps on used tyres.

What's more, Wolff revealed that Russell's car was fuelled to do two hot laps with a slow, cool down lap in between, but the 26-year-old decided to complete three fast laps.

"That was a total underperformance by literally everyone involved here," an incensed Wolff told Sky Sports F1 after qualifying.

"Losing a car in Q1 is just not on and driver-team combination shouldn’t happen. At the end we just didn’t have the pace so very, very disappointing day.

“I think probably the car could’ve been two tenths off but we were going up and down with tyre temperatures and it was tricky to try and find a middle ground to give him a car that had that grip.

“I think [George Russell] should have had the first lap in where Lewis went P1, he said it was probably taken too easy, and then the other one was we put a lap too little fuel in but it was a different run plan, it was a fast slow fast and he decided to do three fast laps but overall I think it’s 70% the team’s mistake in not fuelling one lap more."

Red Bull Lewis Hamilton Mercedes George Russell Toto Wolff Sergio Perez