On Friday in Belgium, Red Bull and Mercedes did little for each other during the free practice sessions. During the second practice, Max Verstappen was even the fastest man on the track and both Red Bull drivers were very pleased with their car. Lewis Hamilton previously said that Red Bull was still a threat to his team, and Toto Wolff also shares that opinion when asked about the threat from Red Bull.
“We have always seen Red Bull as a great competitor”, the Austrian replies to, among others RacingNews365. “They proved that once again this Friday at Spa-Francorchamps. They were the fastest car on the track, both on a single fast lap and during the longer runs. We take Red Bull very seriously”, says Wolff .
This week it was announced that the Formula 1 calendar this season will consist of a total of 17 Grands Prix. Knowing that Red Bull normally gets stronger as the season progresses, Wolff is asked if he is more concerned about Mercedes’ chances for the world title. He answers firmly, “No. It’s the same for everyone.”
“There are still ten races to go, which means that there are still more than 250 points to be won for a driver. We are currently in the lead and the gap is thirty points, which is nothing at all. We always knew that that lead. is too small to take it easy, sit back and think it’s going to be an easy season. “
Could that lead on Verstappen already shrink in Belgium? On Friday, the Mercedes driver did not get further than third and sixth place during the second free practice. Did Mercedes take it easy? “No”, Wolff sounds again firmly. “It’s always a question what the other teams will do on Friday in terms of fuel and engine position. We didn’t take any chances today, no, but Max and Red Bull will have been about the same level.”
“The differences were very small, which is nice to see,” he continues. “That is also what Formula 1 needs. We have no guarantee that we will be at the top of the scoreboard on Sunday. Our performance on Friday was representative, but we still have some experiments to run on Saturday to better understand where we are and whether we are going in the right direction “, the Mercedes team boss concludes his story.
With the cooperation of Dieter Rencken.
Horner and Marko are enthusiastic about Albon, but is that right? According to Coronel, Max Verstappen has no use at all from his teammate. That and much more, such as the preview of the Belgian Grand Prix, can be heard in the latest RN365 podcast, with racing driver Tom Coronel, F1 journalist Ruud Dimmers and host Thomas van Groningen.
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