Toto Wolff has indicated that he is watching for Red Bull Racing. Warm conditions on the circuit appear to be the Achilles’ heel of the German racing stable, the team boss is also aware of this. The title fight is therefore still completely open, he suggests.
“ It was said that this would be a breeze, but the second weekend in Great Britain we didn’t even have the fastest car, ” the Mercedes team boss told AS. The heavy degradation of the tires in particular played a role: ‘I could see the blisters on the Lewis tires. I knew they were in trouble and we knew it stints had to shorten. ‘
“We have a serious problem in the heat,” he continues. ‘We generally have the fastest car, but we drive with the most aerodynamic pressure. The heavier that pressure is, the harder your tires have to endure. ‘ Hence, the Mercedes tires lasted less than the tires under the RB16.
And so Wolff is vigilant for Red Bull in the coming weeks. There are races to come in Spain and Italy, where temperatures are likely to be high. The RB16 is a serious danger in these races, Wolff predicts: ‘We have to admit that the RB16 is a sensational car. But we learn a lot from losses. ‘
Wolff embraces the challenge
It’s not all doom and gloom at the Mercedes man. He also sees the positive side of a strong competitor: ‘Of course we love the challenge and the fight. Max is an insane driver and Red Bull a strong rival. Our advantage is gone with one failure. ‘
‘Valtteri Bottas is certainly not losing the figure, this season is still completely open,’ Wolff concludes. He also certainly sees the Finn as a potential championship candidate. Bottas is currently third in the championship, Verstappen managed to overtake the Mercedes driver after the victory. (Photo: Red Bull Content Pool / Getty Images)
