Formula 1

Toto Wolff: “It’s going to be a neck and neck fight with Red Bull”

2 Mins read
2021 Portuguese Grand Prix, Friday - Steve Etherington

This weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix represent the chance for Mercedes AMG Petronas to continue to form a gap between themselves and Red Bull Racing, after Lewis Hamilton picked up his second victory in 2021 at Portimao.

Despite some concerns that Red Bull had created an overall faster car than W12, Mercedes were back to their dominant selves in the Portuguese Grand Prix as Hamilton stormed to victory ahead of Max Verstappen, with Valtteri Bottas settling for third.

Mercedes’ team principal and CEO, Toto Wolff, expects another close battle between Red Bull in Barcelona and outlines there’s still plenty of work to do despite a confident start to the season.

“Back-to-back events bring some added intensity to the calendar, and they also mean we don’t have to wait long for the next dose of track action. That’s an exciting prospect after another close race last weekend in Portugal.
 
“We left Portimão with a strong double-podium and some important learnings to take forward, especially as a one-two finish was in reach without the sensor problem for Valtteri in the late stages.

“There’s plenty of work still to do and the pecking order looks set to change from track to track, so we know we need to be on the top of our game each weekend.
 
“It’s going to be a neck and neck fight with Red Bull through the entire season and we’re excited for that battle to continue in just a few days’ time in Spain.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teams were unable to travel to Barcelona for their usual pre-season testing and, instead, took place at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Wolff is excited to see how the W12 performs around at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and whether the rear tyres on the car can handle the track, especially since that hasn’t been their biggest strength this season.

“Usually, we’d have already spent some time in Barcelona for winter testing, but that wasn’t the case this year.

“So, we’re looking forward to being back at the track and seeing how we fare.
 
“The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a proper all-rounder, with a mix of corner types and straights, making it a true test for the car. It’s a circuit where managing the rear tyres is key to strong performance, and that hasn’t been our biggest strength so far this season.

“There have also been a few modifications to the layout for this year. So, we’re intrigued to see how W12 performs there.”

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