Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has said he is “one hundred per cent” confident the side will get on top of the latest setbacks it has encountered in Formula 1.
Mercedes has been restricted to one win since the ground effect regulations were introduced in 2022, having been on a run of eight consecutive Constructors’ titles.
But having moved on from the failed ‘zeropod’ solution, Mercedes was positive that its revamped W15 had arrested the limitations embedded within its predecessor.
However, engine cooling concerns plagued the marque in Bahrain, while it endured an underwhelming race in Saudi Arabia that ended with sixth and ninth places.
Wolff has admitted Mercedes has a “fundamental” problem with its latest creation in high-speed corners deriving from simulations not correlating to the race track.
Nevertheless, the Austrian is adamant that Mercedes is in a better position to tackle problems compared to previous seasons and is certain it will overcome them.
Asked what makes him certain Mercedes can address its current issues, Wolff said: “It’s a different confidence that I have in the group this time around, because at a certain stage you are coming basically ticking all the boxes of the unknown and where we are today it is pretty clear where it points to, and it is just my feeling that we will come on top.
“Is it good enough to beat a Max [Verstappen] in a Red Bull? No, it’s not.
“But at least bringing ourselves back in a position of fighting for podiums and being right there. One hundred per cent sure we are going to get there.”
Wolff has denied that Mercedes engineers got overconfident that it had rectified the hitches of previous seasons once it received positive feedback from testing.
“This team has not been overconfident, we are probably the other way around, and we see the glass half empty,” he said. “That attitude stays, but it is also the attitude to fix it.”
Despite the hope that it had closed the margin over the winter, George Russell lagged 39.9 seconds behind the winning Red Bull in Jeddah compared to 25.8s last term.
However, Wolff has ruled out condemning the team for losing ground relative to the Austrian outfit, insisting that there should be no questions over the working group.
“I have changed my mindset. I don’t think that additional pressure on all of us makes it better,” Wolff said in relation to his more calm and measured attitude.
“I think we have a problem with the physics, it is not by lack of trying or by the mindset, motivation or energy. All of that is there and I can see the buzz in the organisation.
“As racers, when you have such results, you feeling down but we are trying to change that in the right motivation for the week that comes. That’s why we have got to believe in that we can turn this round, believe that our organisation can dig ourselves out and I am 100 per cent sure we can.”
