How incredible would it be to see the Italian Kimi Antonelli win with his Mercedes right at Imola? That’s what Toto Wolff’s team is hoping for, as they announce an update package for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The goal is, of course, to close the gap to McLaren, who currently lead the Constructors’ Championship. It’s a significant margin: the papaya boys top the standings with 246 points compared to the Silver Arrows’ 141.
That’s a 105-point deficit to make up, and on paper it seems like an impossible task — but not entirely out of reach. George Russell is in great form this year: car #63 has already claimed four podiums, while his teammate is steadily improving.
For Kimi Antonelli, it would be an honour to celebrate a podium finish at his home Grand Prix. To help make that happen, Mercedes will bring upgrades in the coming races, including at Imola.
Wolff will be absent for reasons already discussed, but he emphasized the progress the team has made so far: “We go to Imola having completed a quarter of the season,” he said in a press release ahead of the GP.
“From these first six races we can draw the following conclusions: we’ve made progress compared to last year. The W16 is a more balanced car than its predecessor; we’ve achieved some solid results, with four podiums in that series of races. There’s still a lot of work to do if we want to fight for victory.”
We don’t yet know what the updates will include, but the target remains the same — “scoring points,” added the Austrian team principal. “We will introduce various updates over the next few races.”
However, Toto Wolff is not taking his eyes off the competition: “Formula 1 is a relative game, though, and we know our rivals will also be making progress. It will be interesting to see how the situation evolves on track.”
Leave a Reply