Mercedes encountered serious challenges at the Sao Paolo GP due to high tire degradation. Upon witnessing how badly his squad performed, team boss Toto Wolff was compelled to hold himself accountable. The 51-year-old claimed that the W-14 gave an exceptionally poor performance which was completely “baffling” and unacceptable. Along with this, he stressed that the Brazilian race represented “the worst weekend in 13 years” for Mercedes and that the car didn’t deserve to win. However, now the Austrian team principal has been called for hypocrisy.
Naomi Schiff and Damon Hill were recently featured in the Sky Sports podcast discussing their thoughts on Mercedes’ disastrous Brazil weekend. Hill initially stated that even though Toto Wolff conducts the Silver Arrows team in a no-blame culture, it appears that he is now shouldering all the blame on himself.
Later, citing Lewis Hamilton’s statement as an example, in which the Briton stated Sao Paolo was not the point at which he expected the W14 to fall off, Hill insisted they had a difficult weekend and that it may be a one-off event. Soon after Hill’s comments, Schiff offered a different viewpoint, suggesting that the team’s harsh remarks might have been an impulsive emotional response.
She emphasized that Mercedes had achieved back-to-back P2s, showing a solid development, despite a poor weekend marked by pace challenges, excessive tire wear, and reliability issues. Nevertheless, while wrapping up, she added, “Given the fact it was a Sprint weekend, it’s possible that they let themselves in the wrong direction when it comes to setup. It just does seem like it may be a one off and maybe they know more than we do.”
Naomi Schiff and Damon Hill examine the performance variability of Toto Wolff and co in more depth
The Sao Paolo GP Weekend proved to be disastrous for Wolff and co. Hamilton, who finished second in Mexico, dropped down to P8 after making a minor setup adjustment error. Schiff, therefore, shared her opinion on what, might have gone wrong. She began by emphasizing that the Brackley-based team hoped to advance from a stage in which they might act without showing any variation in performance.
Later, she went on to discuss their previous season, pointing out that Mercedes initially had trouble with a new generation car, with enhancements frequently producing unanticipated outcomes. Considering the car’s performance
Hill clarified that Mercedes has recognized the concept’s shortcomings and has openly admitted to them this season. He does, however, note that because some designs cannot be changed, the German manufacturers have no way to make significant alterations to the present car. As a result, they will have to wait until next year to unveil the team’s new vehicle.
While concluding, Hill asserts, ” Probably they believe in the right direction. But they won’t know until they get their hands on next year’s car.” Similarly, Schiff also claimed that Mercedes should see this as an opportunity for learning. Particularly since they are not in contention for the championship.
