Mercedes flattered by 2019 results, Wolff admits
Mercedes flattered by 2019 results, Wolff admits
Toto Wolff admits that Mercedes' dominant form so far in 2019 owes plenty to luck as well as the Silver Arrows' continued excellence.
Lewis Hamilton enjoys a 62-point lead over team-mate Valtteri Bottas in the drivers' standings at the summer shutdown, while the Silver Arrows are 150 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors' championship, having won 10 of the 12 races so far.
The Scuderia are yet to win a single grand prix, making their pre-season favourite tag look somewhat foolhardy, but Wolff says Ferrari's season has not been as ruinous as it may appear on first glance.
"The season so far has certainly exceeded our expectations because we started winter testing with some poor performances," Wolff told the official F1 website.
"We slowly got to understand the car and when the real racing started we were right at the front.
"But, we were not always the quickest car. Ferrari had a fantastic performance in Bahrain. The car broke down. Leclerc should have won.
"In Baku, they were very fast, and the famous Vettel call in Montreal when he could have won the race or not.
"So, the stats could have looked much worse for us than it does. That is the reason we are not taking out foot off the pedal.
"We believe we need to continue to push our performance level to win this championship as our competition will not rest and let us run away with it."
The Silver Arrows are well set for a sixth straight title double, which would eclipse the previous record run set by Ferrari and Michael Schumacher at the turn of the century.
"We've already stretched it quite a bit," Wolff said. "We're competing for our sixth consecutive double championship which hasn't been done before, in any sport.
"We are proud of having that opportunity, but having said that, it's not done yet. After you get six there is a seventh to conquer. I think the most important thing is to enjoy yourself, have fun, and stay humble."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 boss 'in early talks' to SELL 25 percent of team
- 59 minutes ago
Will F1 hopeful Antonelli replace Sargeant from Imola?
- 1 hour ago
F1 News Today: Hamilton dealt major Newey blow as Red Bull chief makes BRUTAL admission
- 2 hours ago
Schumacher reveals how Mercedes could snare Verstappen
- 3 hours ago
Red Bull chief in BRUTAL putdown of key F1 feature
- 3 hours ago
Cullen relationship blossoms with new star after moving on from Hamilton
- Today 09:59
Related news
Drive to Survive Season Two launch date revealed
How F1's drivers have transformed over the 2010s
VIDEO: What F1 drivers got each other for Christmas
VIDEO: F1's 10 best overtakes in 2019
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860