Mercedes had mixed feelings after the race, as they were initially happy with their second place finish but later disappointed when Lewis Hamilton was disqualified and lost his second place due to an illegal floor. Despite this setback, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff believes that the car’s update is a positive sign and they will learn from their mistakes and come back stronger in the next race.
Highlights
‣ Mercedes’ drastic update worked, as they finished second behind Max Verstappen.
‣ Lewis Hamilton lost his second place due to his floor not passing inspection.
‣ Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has mixed feelings about the race.
‣ Mercedes wants to learn from the disqualification and come back stronger next weekend.
In a rollercoaster of emotions at the Austin Grand Prix, Mercedes experienced both joy and disappointment. Initially, there was joy and relief as Max Verstappen finished just behind Mercedes in second place, proving that their drastic update had succeeded. However, this high was short-lived as Lewis Hamilton lost his second-place position due to his floor failing inspection. Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team boss, expressed mixed feelings about the situation.
Wolff acknowledged the positives from the race, stating, “We can take a lot of positives from the car performance today. We hate coming so close to winning and falling short.” He highlighted the improvement in their car’s performance on the circuit, particularly in the fast, sweeping corners that previously posed a challenge for them. According to Wolff, this is a promising sign and shows that their upgrade is heading in the right direction.
Despite the disappointment of disqualification, Wolff emphasized the importance of learning from the situation. He recognized the challenges of making setup choices during a sprint weekend with limited practice time, especially on a bumpy circuit like Circuit of the Americas. Wolff stated, “Others got it right where we got it wrong, and there’s no wiggle room in the rules. We need to take it on the chin, do the learning, and come back stronger next weekend.”
However, Mercedes didn’t leave Austin empty-handed. George Russell, despite facing difficulties during the race, managed to secure a fifth-place finish due to the disqualifications of both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. This provided a silver lining for the team.
In the end, the Austin Grand Prix was a mixed bag of emotions for Mercedes. While they experienced the success of their upgrade through Verstappen’s close finish, the disqualification of Hamilton left them disappointed. Nevertheless, Wolff emphasized the importance of taking the positives, learning from their mistakes, and coming back stronger in the next race.
