Toto Wolff makes cautious Mercedes F1 vow ahead of Mexican Grand Prix
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team boss Toto Wolff has vowed that the Silver Arrows will retain full focus and discipline at the Mexican Grand Prix, despite being incredibly close to winning both championships.
Kimi Antonelli is within two points of becoming the youngest-ever F1 world champion, while Mercedes are inching ever nearer to the constructors’ title, however Wolff insists the team’s approach will not change.
Last time out, at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Antonelli kicked off the latest F1 triple-header in the best possible way with a dominant victory.
Now 123 points ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell and with a maximum of 125 points left available, Antonelli needs merely one more P9 finish or above to secure his first F1 crown.
Meanwhile, Mercedes lead the constructors by 133 points over Ferrari (607 to 474), with 215 points remaining across the final five races of the campaign.
To clinch that championship in Mexico City, Mercedes must leave the weekend with a 172-point lead or more. That means outscoring Ferrari by at least 39 points.
Mercedes sealing a one-two finish would require Ferrari to score six points or fewer between drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. That’s far less likely than Antonelli’s task.
“The championships are moving closer, but our mindset does not change. Thinking about the outcome won’t help us achieve it,” Wolff said when previewing the Mexican GP.
“Austin demonstrated the potential we have with our latest update (upgrades), but it also highlighted where we still have work to do.”
Reserve driver Frederik Vesti will take over Russell’s car for Free Practice 1 (FP1) as Mercedes’ analysts seek important data.
The team hopes to iron out any inconsistencies in time for qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
“We have added performance, but accessing it consistently is proving more challenging,” Wolff explained.
“George suffered particularly with that last weekend and, as a team, our focus is on understanding why and helping get the car into a better window.
“We will stay disciplined, take each session as it comes, and concentrate on doing the fundamentals well.
“That includes Fred. He is an important member of our team and we know we can rely on him to deliver precise, useful feedback as we work through Friday’s programme.”