Wolff claims every team other than Ferrari "all over the place"
Wolff claims every team other than Ferrari "all over the place"
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes every team other than Ferrari was "all over the place" in first practice for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc spun three times but recovered on each occasion before finishing at the head of a Scuderia one-two in front of the soaked Tifosi in treacherous conditions on F1's return to Imola.
Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished a lowly 18th and 10th respectively, with the former seven seconds adrift of the championship leader.
Reviewing Mercedes' session, Wolff told Sky Sports F1 he was "not delighted", adding: "You can see there is nine seconds between first and last and it is all about getting grip into the tyre, temperatures.
"The Ferraris seem to have unlocked that thing, everybody else is pretty much all over the place."
Asked if he thought the wet weather would promote a more level playing field, Wolff replied: "Yeah, [I thought] it would.
"The feedback we are getting from Lewis and George is there is literally zero grip. These gaps are owing to the tyres."
Mercedes expect "jump" in qualifying
As it is F1's first sprint event of the season, qualifying follows on from first practice later on Friday.
With the team struggling and the order largely spread in the difficult conditions, Wolff suggested: "I think when you are able to unlock that issue, you will do a jump.
"Where that will end, I don't know. I think there will be quite some discrepancies in performance.
"We were five seconds off the pace and I don't know what it was. It was not the car and not the driver."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Why F1's RADICAL proposed points change is a positive step
- 1 hour ago
Former F1 chief hits out at Hamilton 'EXCUSES'
- 3 hours ago
Red Bull already sending parts to F1 race MONTHS away
- Today 12:57
Stats show SURPRISE F1 team dominate in crucial category
- Today 11:57
Schumacher reveals what F1 pundits are NOT allowed to say about Red Bull
- Today 10:57
Hamilton struggles pinned on Mercedes by team's OWN driver
- Today 09:57
Related news
Italian F1 icon Formulino dies at the age of 16
Hamilton praises fellow F1 driver for ‘leading by example’ following Imola heroics
Monaco GP delay? Ferrari boss weighs in on fears after Imola F1 cancellation
F1 Today: Imola latest and what it means for 2023 race calendar
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