05/06/2025 17:30
Toto Wolff has called on Mercedes to find answers to a particular
aspect of the performance of the cars that has plagued the team for
a considerable period. The recent triple-header in Imola, Monaco
and Spain, proved to be particularly chastening for Mercedes and
Wolff, who was unable to find very few positives, with the team
collecting just 18 points. Even one of Mercedes' staples over the
years, its power unit, proved to be the undoing of Kimi Antonelli
in Spain on Sunday, with his retirement late on triggering a safety
car and sparking several laps of mayhem and contentious decisions
from the stewards. That left Antonelli without a point from the
three races on F1's return to Europe, and Wolff, in particular,
requesting a solution for the tyre concerns he wants to see an end
to before next year's crucial regulation change. "Yeah, it's
difficult to see lots of positives, apart from the trajectory that
seemed to be a little bit better in tyre management," said Wolff,
reflecting on the triple-header in speaking to the media, including
RacingNews365 . "We have to look at whether that was an engine
failure [on Antonelli's car]. Clearly, it looks like that at first
sight, and that is our strength. So we need to see where that comes
from. "But overall, it's important to understand the tyres, because
that is going to be an important factor next year, beyond all the
sporting and technical regulations, [and] engine regulations."
Mercedes issue 'in the car' Wolff maintains that Mercedes' tyre
performance, especially in hot conditions and notably affecting the
rears, is the continuation of a pattern that has long affected the
cars. "Our car, generally over the years, was struggling more with
the rear tyre overheating than others," said Wolff. "We were always
very strong when it was cold, when that wasn't an issue. "If you
look back at Las Vegas last year, we went out and from the first
flying lap onwards, the drivers said, 'That car is awesome. We have
so much grip, like never before'. "All of the other drivers were
saying there's no grip, and they were sliding around. So you can
see that is certainly intrinsic in the car, which you can mask or
make worse with setup directions, but it's something that's in the
car."
