Mercedes must avoid swinging between “mania and depression” over F1 form - Wolff

Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff says his team needs to avoid swinging between “mania and depression” over its form in 2021. 
Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W12.
Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W12.
© xpbimages.com

The reigning world champions were beaten to the win last time out at the Circuit of the Americas - only its second defeat in Austin since 2014.

Max Verstappen claimed his eighth victory of the season to extend his lead in the championship to 12 points over Lewis Hamilton, while Red Bull reduced Mercedes’ lead in the constructors’ championship. 

F1 heads to Mexico this weekend - a venue where Red Bull has traditionally had the advantage over Mercedes. 

Wolff has called on his team to focus on trying to “eke” more performance from the Mercedes W12 as it goes in search of title glory in the final five races of the season.

“I think we have to be careful in the team that we are not always swinging between mania and depression, but instead, eke forward with our understanding of the car,” Wolff said after the race at COTA. “There was never a point where I thought we were not going to make this, but also it was important not to get ahead of ourselves after Friday [in Austin]. 

“The general feedback was that Mercedes are dominating and what is Red Bull going to do about that and fast forward 24 hours and it's gone the opposite way, so I think it is about really exploiting the product, with the car as the product, how do we tune the product and deliver the performance, and that is what is going to make the difference between losing and winning.”

Mercedes won the last Mexican Grand Prix in 2019 with Hamilton taking the chequered flag ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Valtteri Bottas.

Read More