Following their performance at the Italian Grand Prix, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has admitted that despite the solid fifth and sixth-place finish, the team is far from satisfied.
The result, which saw George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finish behind both Ferraris and Red Bulls, did bolster their position in the constructors’ championship.
However, Wolff is quick to emphasise that celebrations are not in order, and their focus is on improving for the upcoming Singapore GP in September.
Despite a qualifying session that saw Russell and Hamilton start in fourth and eighth positions, respectively, they could only secure fifth and sixth places in the race.
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Wolff acknowledged the challenges they faced during the event.
“No, lots of incidents, but you need to be careful not to be too happy about a fifth and sixth.
“I think we maximised the point for what was in there today,” Wolff stated during an interview with Sky Sports F1 following the race.
The Italian Grand Prix saw several incidents and penalties, and Wolff recognises the need to analyse them to prevent similar issues in the future.
He drew parallels with previous low downforce tracks, like Spa and Baku, and noted that the team is gradually improving in these conditions.
“Yeah, I think both penalties you can justify.
“So we’ve got to look at that, how we can prevent it in the future. I think this is like Spa and Baku.
“I think we’re actually getting better on those low downforce tracks.
“Spa was worse.
“Singapore coming towards our direction and there we’ve got to maximise,” Wolff commented.
Mercedes arrived at Monza with renewed optimism, having secured contract extensions with their star drivers, Russell and Hamilton, that will keep them with the team until at least the end of 2025.
Russell’s impressive qualifying lap raised hopes of challenging for a podium finish from fourth on the grid.
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However, it became evident during the race that Mercedes’ race pace was not on par with Ferrari or Red Bull.
Hamilton found himself battling with the Williams of Alex Albon and the two McLarens.
Despite the challenges faced in Monza, Mercedes is still hopeful for better results in the upcoming races and aims to seize at least one opportunity to compete for a race win before the conclusion of the 2023 season.