Wolff Gives Honest Verdict On 'Underwhelming' Weekend In Bahrain

Wednesday, 06 March 2024 at 01:30

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The team principal of Mercedes, Toto Wolff, suggested the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix weekend was "underwhelming" for Mercedes.

After a one-two in the FP2 session ahead of the qualification and race at Bahrain International Circuit, Mercedes gave a bit of a false hope to its fans.

George Russell with Lewis Hamilton then placed P3 and P9 in the Qualifying, and P5 and P7 during the race on Saturday. Toto Wolff told the media:

"Our race in Bahrain was best described as underwhelming. We were hopeful of a stronger showing after our performance in practice and qualifying."

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Hamilton and Russell, who both complained about the drivability and predictability of the 2023 Mercedes, said that the 2024 model- W15 is a great step forward.

"Both drivers were pleased with the balance earlier in the weekend, and the more stable platform provided by the W15."

Even when the qualifying on Friday didn't go well for the seven-time World Champion, he suggested his car was set up for the race, which meant he expected a much better result in the Grand Prix.

However, he only moved up two positions in the end, and his teammate lost two positions because of various problems they encountered with an overheating engine, battery, brakes, and a broken seat.

"Unfortunately, on Saturday evening, our cooling performance didn't match our predictions. That forced us into management mode early on, which had the knock-on impact of reducing tire temperatures below optimum."

The team principal suggested in a different interview that the lower engine mode probably lost his drivers around half a second per lap . That would indicate that the German team could have competed for the podium had they not struggled with all the issues. Wolff added:

"That cost us the opportunity to show something closer to our true potential. It was a frustrating way to start the season but one we will learn from."