Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has now explained why George Russell and Lewis Hamilton still felt ‘negative’ after the Canadian Grand Prix, despite their first podium.
The Silver Arrows produced by large their best weekend of the 2024 Formula 1 season so far in Montreal. Russell stood on a rostrum for the first time this year in third place, behind Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. Hamilton also came home just 4.915 seconds behind the lead.
Hamilton had not finished any Grand Prix higher than P6 before the Canadian GP. Russell, as well, had not finished a race in a better position than P5. But Mercedes unlocked more pace from the W15 in Montreal after utilising their upgraded front wing with its extended top arm.
Toto Wolff admits Mercedes left the Canadian GP feeling ‘negative’
Mercedes surprised even Red Bull with their front wing during pre-season testing in Bahrain this February. But the Silver Arrows have now dropped their unique trimmed top element in favour of a long top flap. Russell had unveiled Mercedes’ new front wing at the Monaco GP.
Their new front wing also followed Mercedes’ upgrades at the Emilia Romagna GP when the team unveiled an overhauled rear wing and beam wing, plus modifications to their floor and brake ducts. They combined to help Russell give Mercedes pole position at the Canadian GP.
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But Wolff admits the prevailing feeling in Mercedes’ garage after Russell held Hamilton back to get on the Canadian GP podium was ‘negative’. While their first rostrum this year brought delight for the team, both drivers felt they could have gotten even higher up the final order.
Wolff outlined, via quotes by Autosport: “I think when you finish third and fourth where we have been coming from, then it’s a positive race. Three and four is much better than we had previously in the last few races. So, that’s good.
“But I think both drivers saw that there was more because we could have maybe gained a position or two, and that’s why there is a kind of negative sentiment that prevails.
“But if you would have given them third and fourth before the weekend, probably, they would have taken it.”
Mercedes will take an upgraded floor to the Spanish GP
Autosport also claims that Mercedes will take a new floor to the Spanish GP next time out in two weeks. It may not be the only upgrade the Brackley team take to Barcelona, too. Russell and Hamilton will hope Mercedes’ next upgrades will take their W15 to an even higher level.
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Given both drivers left the Canadian GP feeling they could have finished on the podium, too, Russell and Hamilton might even hope Mercedes’ next set of upgrades turns the W15 into a race-winning vehicle. Less than five seconds covered the top four in Montreal last weekend.
Russell set the pace in qualifying for the Canadian GP, too, despite posting his best Q3 time on scrubbed tyres. Hamilton also posted the fastest lap of the race on his 70th and last tour of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, pipping the lap time that Russell set to score the extra point.
The post ‘That’s why’: Wolff explains Canadian GP ‘negative’ for Mercedes despite Russell podium appeared first on F1 Oversteer.