Mercedes couldn't expect Monaco miracles - Wolff

Monaco Grand Prix

Mercedes couldn't expect Monaco miracles - Wolff

Mercedes qualified with Russell sixth and Hamilton eighth

Sam Hall

Saturday 28 May 2022 19:10

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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has conceded George Russell's sixth-place in Monaco Grand Prix qualifying was 'better than expected'.

The Silver Arrows struggled throughout practice with aggressive bouncing due to the stiffness of the W13's set-up, with neither Russell nor Lewis Hamilton finding confidence whilst behind the wheel.

But the team regrouped with Russell qualifying sixth and Hamilton eighth and Wolff explained: "Every lap looks different, the car behaviour changes and we had it last year - we had a car in P2 and a car that went out in Q1 I think it was, or Q2.

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"So, I think I would even - I don't know if this is now managing my expectations -but I would say that us being here where we are with George, it is probably realistic or better than I would have expected from Monaco even though, of course, we can't be happy with such performance but it could have been worse."

Mercedes appeared to have gotten on top of its porpoising struggles in Barcelona and asked if Monaco was the worst venue that could have immediately followed, Wolff conceded: "Pretty much, yes.

"Because you can ask what are the lessons that we learned in Barcelona and how do they apply to Monaco. There is just nothing you can apply because it is so different."

Mercedes shouldn't have expected Monaco miracles

Largely due to its porpoising problems, Mercedes has endured a tough start to the season but seemed to turn a corner in Spain.

But Monaco has been another difficult weekend for the team with Russell 0.736s adrift of Charles Leclerc's pole time and Hamilton over a second off the pace.

"The car is too stiff and too low and it is just the same gap like it was in qualifying in Barcelona," Wolff added.

"It is probably realistic where we ended up. The car is good for fifth and sixth and Norris beat us to it but we shouldn't have expected any miracles, particularly here in Monaco."