Following the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff spoke to Sky Sport F1 about the key talking points from the race. The Austrian reflected on Ferrari’s impressive performance, Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s reliability issues, George Russell’s podium finish, and the controversy surrounding the late Safety Car.
Mercedes has lost 75 points through reliability issues
Mercedes’ biggest concern remains reliability. After another mechanical problem affected Andrea Kimi Antonelli‘s race, Wolff admitted the team has paid a heavy price in recent Grands Prix.
“We’ve lost 75 points because of engine-related problems over the last few races. With reliability this fragile, of course we have to keep an eye on our rivals, but our priority is to work on solving the issues we’re experiencing,” Wolff explained.
Speaking specifically about Antonelli’s race-ending problems, he added:
“Something broke at Turn 9, but once again it was related to reliability.”
Praise for George Russell’s podium
Wolff also welcomed George Russell’s unexpected second-place finish, even though he acknowledged the British driver is still not completely comfortable with the current Mercedes package.
“On one hand, I’m very happy about George’s podium. I know he’s not feeling completely at one with the car the way he’d like, so I’m pleased with his result, even though I also know his objective is to win races and perform at the same level as his teammate.”
Wolff defends the FIA over the Safety Car decision
The Mercedes boss also addressed the debate surrounding the decision to finish the race behind the Safety Car. Referring to the controversy of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Wolff praised the FIA for consistently applying the regulations.
“Those are the rules. Today we benefited from those rules by finishing second, and we’re happy with the result.”
Responding to criticism that the race should have been restarted for a final-lap sprint, Wolff dismissed the complaints.
“I think those are just people who wanted drama and chaos on the track. These are the rules, and we’re happy that they were applied correctly,” he concluded.
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