Toto Wolff brands Mercedes start 'totally unacceptable' as George Russell urges 'rethink' on car

Toto Wolff explained that Mercedes’ slow start to the 2022 Formula 1 season «feels like 2013» when the German team last failed to win the constructors’ championship. The period that followed included seven consecutive drivers’ championships for Lewis Hamilton (six) and Nico Rosberg (one). Ad/> However, the manufacturer has fallen behind the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari following the off-season changes to aerodynamic regulations that have hampered Hamilton and fellow driver George Russell.

Australian Grand PrixF1 engineer backs Mercedes to recover after slow start to seasonYESTERDAY AT 11:44 Mercedes now have a 40-point deficit between themselves and Ferrari in the constructors’ championship standings following the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix. “I love competition and I’ve always loved competition,” said Wolff in quotes originally published by Race Fans. “We had a really strong run of eight years where we were leading the pack, not always, but we kind of managed our way into the lead.

“This time for me feels a little bit like 2013, where we just weren’t up to the speed with the Red Bull and probably also not with the Ferraris, but we kept fighting. This is how I feel at the moment. “It’s certainly totally unacceptable where we are in performance.