Wolff dissatisfied: “Not ready, Red Bull and McLaren faster”

Despite Mercedes being pre-championship favorites, Wolff expressed deep negativity to Sky Sport. He noted the Barcelona session was just a shakedown, whereas today revealed the reality.

“We do not feel ready,” Wolff admitted, highlighting specific frustrations regarding the setup, high tire degradation, and poor energy management. He observed that Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and McLaren now possess a more complete engine package and significantly faster cars. Wolff believes the vehicle currently performs much worse than it did in Spain.

Additionally, the Austrian manager addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding the Mercedes engine. He staunchly defended its legality, dismissing recent attacks from rival manufacturers as mere political lobbying. He argued that competitors assume Mercedes holds an unfair advantage, insisting that such technical debates are just standard Formula 1 politics.