Mercedes “won’t get carried away” by “promising” signs at the factory - Wolff
Mercedes have suffered a difficult start to F1 2023, failing to finish on the podium in the opening two rounds of the season.
The last time Mercedes failed to see one of their cars finish on the podium in the opening two rounds was back in 2012, 11 years ago.
After their tough start, Mercedes have acknowledged their need to pursue a different car concept, with work well underway behind the scenes to turn their campaign around.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, Wolff admitted he was “encouraged” by the progress Mercedes showed last time out in Saudi Arabia.
“The progress we saw in Saudi Arabia was encouraging,” he said. “We maximised the package we had and scored some solid points. More importantly, we continued to learn and understand more about the W14 and our development direction. Everyone back at base has been hard at work to turn these learnings into performance.
“The signs we are seeing back at the factory are promising. We have got to take it step by step, though, and won't get carried away until we see performance translated into lap time on track.
“The competitive order behind Red Bull is tight, with small margins having a big effect on points scored. There remains a significant gap to the front and that is ultimately what we are interested in closing.”
Mercedes have a strong record at Albert Park, remaining unbeaten in qualifying from 2014 to 2019.
During that period, they took four wins, with Ferrari taking two.
“We are looking forward to Australia,” he added. “It's a country serious about its motorsport with a great racing tradition, and the fans are super passionate.
“Albert Park is a circuit with unique characteristics, which we will have to work hard to adapt to with the W14. As always, we will look to maximise the car we have, and score as many points as our potential currently allows.
“We are not where we want to be - but that won't stop us from racing hard and giving it everything we've got.”
