Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff had mixed feelings about his team’s performance following the qualifying round for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. George Russell secured an impressive fourth place, while teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli fell short, finishing in fourteenth place during Q2.
Wolff expressed disappointment in Mercedes’ qualifying performance. Russell had clocked the fastest time during the third free practice, and it seemed he could be a contender for the pole position. However, Mercedes had to settle for fourth and fourteenth places. “P4 is okay, P14 not so much,” Wolff said. “The car is running on the edge, risking overheating the tires. In Q2, it seemed as if our expectations were being exceeded, but in the end, it just didn’t materialize.”
Looking ahead to the race and the championship battle, Wolff discussed the role Russell could play. “I think George will run his own race. It’s important to finish high, to fight for a podium or perhaps even more. At the same time, we want to run our race in such a way that we secure the second place in the constructors’ championship. So we’ll see how Max Verstappen and the leaders approach this: whether they bring the field together or let it go, I don’t know yet.” According to Wolff, Antonelli’s focus is on beating Yuki Tsunoda and scoring as many points as possible: “The most important thing is that he beats Yuki. That’s the goal: for both drivers to try to score as many points as possible.”
