Toto Wolff admits he's 'WORRIED' about upcoming F1 race after Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Toto Wolff

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Toto Wolff admits he's 'WORRIED' about upcoming F1 race after Azerbaijan GP

After struggling in qualifying at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Wolff is worried about the Mercedes' chance in Monaco.

Jay Winter

Monday 1 May 2023 13:57

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has already expressed his concerns about the Monaco Grand Prix after the Silver Arrows struggled to keep up with Ferrari and Red Bull at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The issue, explained Wolff, is that the Mercedes W14 has difficulties in windy sections of Grand Prix circuits, an area where Ferrari become "a different force" according to the Austrian.

"We don't have any upgrades with us, everything has remained the same," said the Mercedes team principal, after the issues emerged during qualifying and the Sprint shootout in Baku.

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"We were fully on pace after the first two corners, but as soon as we hit the section with more wind, the Ferrari became a different force.

"In the last sector, we were back on par with the top teams. I'm a little bit worried about Monaco."

Lewis Hamilton is currently on a 27-race winless run, the longest in his entire F1 career

Lewis Hamilton scraped his way through Q2 in qualifying at the expense of his team-mate George Russell, finishing 0.010 secs ahead of his fellow Briton. Hamilton went on to improve his position, securing P5 for the race on Sunday.

When asked if there were any positives to take from the day, Wolff responded, "No, not at all.

"I mean, you have to see, we are nine-tenths behind pole position and five-tenths behind the top three. The time it takes to do a lap [in Baku] is longer [than other circuits], but still not where we want to be."

More reasons for concern?

Mercedes have not only been outperformed by Red Bull this season but also by their customer team, Aston Martin. Wolff puts this down to their chassis.

"I think the Mercedes [customers] did a top job over the winter, as did we," he said.

"We are a bit draggy, so we lose on the straights, but why we are not as strong anymore? It's really the chassis that just wasn't good enough."

Monaco is a notoriously difficult track, and Wolff's concerns are not unfounded. The tight, twisty circuit makes overtaking nearly impossible, meaning that qualifying is crucial.

The grand prix in Monte Carlo is still a month away and with two other race weekends sandwiched between then and now, Wolff will be hoping Mercedes can find their feet before taking to the streets of the principality.