Following the Canadian Grand Prix, Mercedes has achieved its first double podium of the season. George Russell crossed the finish line first in Montreal, while teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli completed the podium with his third-place finish. Despite the impressive performance of his drivers in the face of higher track temperatures, team boss Toto Wolff is not confident of a repeat at the Austrian Grand Prix. ‘I never have confidence,’ the Austrian reveals.
A victory for George Russell and a podium finish for Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Canadian GP could hardly have gone better for Mercedes. Although the Silver Arrows were fast throughout the weekend in Montreal, Russell’s victory march was still a surprise. The W16 does not perform as well in warmer weather conditions, so when the track temperature rose on Sunday, it was uncertain whether Russell could convert his pole position into a win. However, the Brit did just that, much to the delight of team boss Toto Wolff.
“We had a track temperature of 50 degrees Celsius and yet we were dominant,” says a proud Wolff after the race. “I’m really happy with how the team managed to achieve this, but I think you have to look at the layout of the circuit. Montreal has always been a good circuit for us. It lacks the typical fast corners where we struggle more with the heat. That’s one thing. And secondly, the asphalt here is quite smooth, which causes less friction and is therefore less damaging to our car. It suffers from degradation of the rear tires and overheating.”
GP Austria
Mercedes won the next Grand Prix on the calendar last year, the GP Austria, although George Russell did receive a bit of help from the collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. The two drivers came together and were subsequently unable to compete for the win. Therefore, Wolff is not yet confident that Mercedes will have a chance in Spielberg this year. “I never have confidence,” the team boss even reveals. “Because the fluctuations in performance are still there. Austria will be a different race, a different circuit layout, different challenges.”
