‘That is something we have never achieved’: Wolff hails Ferrari’s engine gains

Toto Wolff has previously affirmed that there is no "magic fix" for the problems that have been hindering Mercedes thus far in 2022.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has praised Ferrari for the gains they have made on their power unit, recalling that they are outside the ballpark of what the Silver Arrows have achieved themselves.

Ahead of the introduction of the all-new technical regulations, Ferrari spent a large portion of 2021 working on this year’s machine.

They were not in title contention with Mercedes and Red Bull, and the changes are vast, so it made sense for them to place a larger emphasis on nailing the ground effect aerodynamics and clawing back their power deficit.

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Immediately, they were tipped to have developed their E10 fuel blend with Shell in such a way that it negated the circa 20-horsepower drop that came with the new fuel mix.

Ferrari have clearly made progress on their power unit this year, and their 2022 car looks equally impressive.

Wolff has praised Ferrari for the massive step forward they have taken coming into the 2022 Formula 1 season.

“I think we’ve seen a massive jump from Ferrari from last year to this one,” Wolff said.

“[Ferrari went] from probably 10kw down to 10kw up, and that is something we have never achieved in the past.

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“But if that happened, all credit to them.”

As for his own team’s development after a sluggish start to the year, the Austrian is beginning to obtain a good idea of what is needed to resolve their issues.

“We have found the improvements that we believe can be done on the E10,” he explained.

“The team in Brixworth is doing a good job. I think, at the moment, the drag to performance picture isn’t giving them enough credit.”

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But these changes will not suddenly bring them back to the front of the grid; it will take time as they incrementally add new bits and pieces to the car, ensuring that they stay with the confines of the $140 million budget.

“There won’t be a magic fix for the next race weekend,” Wolff emphasised.

“But we’re pushing to steadily bring gains over the upcoming races, to hopefully move us closer to the front of the pack. 

“Until then, we need to maximise each opportunity and make the most of the package we have.”

Mercedes have taken advantage of mechanical failures from Red Bull in the early part of the season, and they currently sit second in the Constructors’ Championship – 39 points behind Ferrari.