Mercedes working on weaknesses after Australia defeat, says Toto Wolff
Toto Wolff acknowledges that Mercedes has to work hard to get back on a winning track after losing out to Ferrari in Australia.
The Austrian admitted that the team has to identify its weaknesses after Sebastian Vettel beat Lewis Hamilton in a straight fight.
“As a group and as individuals, we are all on a personal development slope in this team,” said Wolff. “We try to improve every single day. On that particular day in Melbourne, Ferrari were better, so we now have to work out how we can improve again to beat them.
“The last three years were an outlier in Formula One, and you need to be careful to manage your own expectations. If you think you are going to cruise to victory in the future, based on a track record of success, you'll be proven wrong very quickly. You need to put the finger in the wound, identify your weaknesses and then respond.
“We achieved a double podium in the first race of a brand new set of regulations - a strong result by any standard. But that doesn't mean we can be satisfied because there are still many areas where we can be better. We have been focused on these during the past week. It's not a case of looking at the competition for inspiration, but of getting our own homework done to maximize our performance.”
Meanwhile, Wolff was full of praise for his drivers.
“I've been encouraged by how both of our drivers are approaching this season so far. Lewis is the best Lewis that I've seen in the last four years, both on and off track. He has become a pillar of this team and he proved that in Melbourne. Valtteri has settled in well and performed at a high level, rising above all the pressure and seamlessly taking over from Nico.”
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