Toto Wolff insists that the Mercedes car is stronger than ever and that they feel very confident going into the last two races of the season.
F1 makes it’s debut in Saudi Arabia next weekend when the lights go out at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Red Bull and Mercedes will resume their battle in the Middle Eastern City on a track that suits the latter on paper.
The two teams are very close to each other in terms of points. Mercedes lead their rivals by just 5 points going into the race.
In the Driver’s Championship, Max Verstappen has a slender 8 point lead over Lewis Hamilton. He has a chance to clinch the title in Jeddah if Hamilton’s performance goes disastrously wrong.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff feels confident about their chances going into the last two rounds of 2021. The W12 of Hamilton dominated Verstappen in both Brazil and Qatar. This makes Toto certain that their car is in the best place possible.
The team is very excited to be fighting for the title at this stage, says the Mercedes boss
Mercedes’ recent straight pace advantage has been a worrying sight for all associated with the Red Bull team. They have brought momentum back to their side of the garage after a few weeks of uncertainty when Verstappen extended his lead over Hamilton to 18 points.
“We are all excited to still be in the fight at this stage in the season. It’s a privilege and a testament to our resilience when we see where we stood in the early summer.” Wolff said.
“Last time out we saw a faultless drive by Lewis in Qatar, commanding the race from start to finish. And a strong recovery for Valtteri before the unfortunate puncture took him out of contention.” he added.
“The car has been performing well recently and is probably in the best place it has been all season, with the drivers confident to push it to the limit.”
“That’s encouraging for the final races and gives us strong momentum to take forward.” Wolff concluded.
Also read: Damon Hill raises safety doubts about Saudi Arabian GP circuit five days before the race
Mercedes trying to get as much information about Jeddah as possible
F1 will be racing on a new track. None of the drivers have any idea about what to expect from the newly constructed circuit. Hence, they will need some time to find their feet before they hit the ground running.
Toto Wolff said that the team are doing their best to gather as much data beforehand, as possible.
“Jeddah is another completely new challenge and an all-new track to get to grips with,” he said.
“A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to ensure we hit the ground running on Friday, because getting as much information as we can during those initial sessions will be vital.
“It’s a fast street circuit with long flat-out sections and several high-speed corners, lined by barriers, meaning it’ll be high risk and reward.”
“We’re more motivated than ever and we expect to be in the hunt, so we are all looking forward to the debut Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia.” the Austrian concluded.
