Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is surprised by the sudden engine gains by Ferrari in such a short time that has made them the title contenders.
Ferrari in 2022 has emerged as the favourite to win the title after winning the two races out of the first three. Their humungous lead in Australia indicates that they are a level above both Red Bull and Ferrari.
Meanwhile, after winning the 2021 constructors’ title, Mercedes is struggling to be at its former level. The Brackley based team is surely not a title contender under the current form. But they are expected to make significant developments ahead.
Nevertheless, Mercedes’s boss is impressed by the gains made by Ferrari. When asked about their rivals outperforming everyone, he said he could only congratulate them.
“I can only congratulate them,” Wolff said to AS.com. However, he also remarked that he never saw any team making such a massive engine gain within a year.
“Previously they were about 14bhp behind, but now they are another 14bhp ahead,” he points out. “We have never seen such a big progress in such a short time,” concludes the Mercedes team boss.
Ferrari to win at home?
The whole F1 contingent is flying to Imola this weekend to race in the fourth Grand Prix of the season. The race track is home for Ferrari, yet ever since it returned to the calendar in 2020, Ferrari has never won over there.
But in 2022, the Maranello-based team would be eyeing to change that trend to have an all Tifosi party once again. The last time Ferrari won in Italy was in Monza 2019, when Charles Leclerc had an unforgettable win.
So, it’s been long since the Italians have seen their beloved team triumph in their homeland. Thus, what could be the better way for Leclerc to further extend his advantage in the championship race with a win in front of the home fans.
Or maybe Carlos Sainz making a comeback with an epic win in Imola. It is now clear that both drivers would demand nothing less than a Ferrari win. Would Red Bull manage to spill the party? That will be answered on Sunday.
Also read: Alpha Tauri boss thinks Mick Schumacher has to outbeat K-Mag to achieve his Ferrari dream
