Toto Wolff calls on Mercedes to ‘understand our limitations’ after Imola setback

Toto Wolff has stressed the need for Mercedes to “understand what caused our limitations” following a disappointing F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

George Russell was the lead Mercedes driver at Imola, finishing a disappointing seventh.

Russell qualified third and stayed there after the opening lap but soon struggled for pace.

He was forced to convert to a two-stop strategy, which didn’t work out because of the timing of the Virtual Safety Car and Safety Car.

However, Mercedes’ pace was not there as Russell lost ground to Charles Leclerc, who undercut him through the pit stop phase.

In the end, Mercedes were the fifth-fastest team in the race, struggling to keep up with Williams and Ferrari.

In his preview for this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, Wolff demanded Mercedes “bounce back immediately”.

“After a tough race in Italy, we have the opportunity to bounce back immediately in Monaco,” Wolff said.

“We will work hard, quickly and efficiently, to understand what caused our limitations in Imola.

“It is important we get on top of that so we can avoid any repeat performances in the future.”

Qualifying strength will aid Mercedes in Monaco

Mercedes have been consistently strong over one lap this year.

Russell hasn’t failed to qualify outside of the top five in 2025.

Overtaking is near impossible on race day in Monaco, so Wolff is hopeful their qualifying speed will give them a crucial advantage this weekend. 

“We know that Monaco is a very different challenge, however. Qualifying is absolutely vital and that has been a strength of ours this year,” Wolff added.

“That is encouraging but doesn’t mean anything unless we can do the job on track.

“We have seen how competitive Saturdays have been this year and that’s always more intense in Monaco.

“We will have to be at our best to give ourselves the opportunity to fight for a good result on Sunday. The mandatory two-stop in the Grand Prix will also add another dimension to the race. We’re excited for the challenge and looking forward to getting back on track.”