Mercedes bagged another win at the Belgian Grand Prix, but their speed vanished at Zandvoort.
Toto Wolff hopes for a better weekend in Italy and is excited about Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s F1 debut.
Zandvoort was a letdown for Mercedes. George Russell came seventh and Lewis Hamilton finished eighth. “It was a disappointing weekend in Zandvoort. We didn’t perform to the level we expected,” said Toto Wolff.
“Lewis drove well to get into the points, but qualifying out of position hurt us. George struggled with high tire wear, so he couldn’t fight for the top-six.”
Wolff hopes for improvement in Monza
Looking ahead to Monza, Wolff wants better results despite uncertainties due to new track asphalt. “The team is already working hard analyzing all the data to understand what caused this. Whilst it’s a quick turnaround, we have the opportunity to bounce back straight away in Monza. I am confident we can do so.”
“Monza is very different from Zandvoort, and it might be even faster this year with some changes they made,” Wolff added. “We also need to figure out how the new surface will affect us. Monza always presents an exciting challenge for both teams and drivers.”
Fans are likely eager to see how Mercedes will perform on this unique track.
Wolff is also thrilled about Antonelli’s debut in Italy. “The atmosphere is always special as the Italian fans are passionate about their racing. That will be even more so in FP1 as Kimi Antonelli steps into George’s car for a rookie session,” Wolff said.
“Kimi has been part of our junior program since he was 12, so this is an exciting moment for both him and the team. I am sure he will enjoy driving in front of his home crowd, and they will be excited to see a new Italian talent on track.”
Wolff looks forward to seeing Kimi in action on Friday morning and contributing to the team’s start to the weekend.
What do you think? Will Mercedes bounce back in Monza?
