Toto Wolff issues philosophical warning over Mercedes progress

Sam Hall
Monday 20 June 2022 08:15

Toto Wolff has cautioned Mercedes against getting carried away with its improved pace following its performance in the Canadian Grand Prix.

Mercedes has finished third and fourth at each of the last two grands prix but while the team's success in Azerbaijan owed much to Ferrari's double DNF, the Silver Arrow's result in Canada was scored on merit. Lewis Hamilton's first podium since the season-opening Bahrain race was aided by a significant reduction in porpoising and bouncing due to a change in set-up following Friday practice after which he had described the W13 as the worst car he had driven at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

But this progress was previously evident in Spain, with the team then suffering badly in Monaco and Azerbaijan, leading to a philosophical appraisal from team principal Wolff.

"One swallow doesn't make a summer," said Wolff. "We saw that swallow in Barcelona but somehow it flew somewhere else!

"We need to be careful. We were off the pace on Friday. In the wet we were good, I think that was respectable, and at times on Sunday, we were with the quickest cars."

Wolff tempers own encouragement

After a late-race safety car left a 15-lap sprint to the chequered flag, Hamilton was able to keep pace with race winner Max Verstappen and Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz who finished second.

"In the second stint, Lewis and George [Russell] were almost matching the front-runners, not quite but on some laps yes, and that is very encouraging to see," added Wolff.

"But we just need to be careful. There is so much work we need to do in order to be back at the front and we are not yet there."