Toto Wolff says Mercedes are vulnerable at Canadian GP despite improvement

Canadian Grand Prix

Toto Wolff gives HONEST Mercedes assessment ahead of Canadian GP

The team principle updates fans on expectations for the race and beyond

Jack Walker

Sunday 18 June 2023 15:57

Toto Wolff says Mercedes are not over the hill with their W14 struggles despite successful recent upgrades, but there is reason to be optimistic.

The Black Arrows locked out the second row for the Canadian Grand Prix after Nico Hulkenberg’s penalty, but Wolff won’t get carried away.

“What we see is an upward trend. But, at the same time, you can see how vulnerable we are. Just look at FP3 where we were not having enough temperature in the tyres, and we fell off a cliff.”

Surprising pace in Montreal

Lewis Hamilton will start the Canadian Grand Prix in third place after Nico Hulkenberg's grid penalty

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Heading into the Canadian GP weekend, Mercedes expected to be battling with Aston Martin, Ferrari, and even Alpine, but have shone above their rivals.

Fernando Alonso may line up in P2 but his team-mate Lance Stroll languishes down in P13, highlighting the strength of Mercedes’ driver pairing.

“We can be satisfied so far. Obviously the two cars, they put two consecutive laps in there at the front. And that's pretty normal,” Wolff continued.

“I think we've seen in both drivers and especially Lewis in Q2 when he went straight [at the chicane and lost his lap], that would have put him fastest among the inter runners with a very, very competitive time.

“So overall, I think the speed was there considering that this is not a strong circuit for us, and it was raining.”

Team belief is growing

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton will hope that Mercedes can follow up their double podium in Barcelona with another in Montreal

While remaining realistic is key, positivity is growing in the Mercedes garage.

“We feel that the car is coming together, and we see that our data yields results on track. We haven't felt that for a long time, and this contributes to being in a good place right now,” said Wolff.

“I think we can see the positive dynamic which is cascading and transcending into the organisation. I think we can be carefully optimistic,” he concluded.