Toto Wolff reveals “major focus” for Mercedes as they look to solve high-speed woes

Toto Wolff is hopeful Mercedes make “some initial progress” in understanding why they were so poor in high-speed corners at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Mercedes struggled considerably in the first part of the lap in Jeddah, with telemetry showing they were slower than Alpine in some of the high-speed corners.

Australia and Japan will be stern tests for Mercedes given both tracks are high speed.

Speaking ahead of the race, Wolff said improving in that area is a “major focus” for the team.

“We've been hard at work since Jeddah building on the learnings from the first two races,” he said.

“It's encouraging to see the potential in the W15 but there are also clear areas of improvement. We have looked competitive in low and medium speed corners but high-speed has been a weakness so far.

“We have been working hard to understand why our performance hasn't reflected our expectations. Improving that is a major focus.

“We hope to make some initial progress for Melbourne, and that work will guide our development in the weeks ahead. It's great to feel the energy and determination running through the factories as we work to unlock the potential of the car.”

Wolff feels like Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were missed opportunities, something he is hoping Mercedes rectify this weekend.

“We left points on the table in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, he added. “We started off each weekend strongly, running our usual practice programmes, but couldn't deliver on that initial promise. 

“With the chasing pack being so close, maximising the potential of the car each weekend is key. Albert Park gives us another chance to show what we can do. It is a great circuit in a great city, with a passionate and vocal fan base, and we look forward to returning.”