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No 'magic fix' in place for Mercedes at Australian GP

Heading into race day at the Australian Grand Prix, Toto Wolff is giving his Mercedes team a 20% chance of retaining their title.

The Silver Arrows have endured a very difficult start to this new regulatory era, with the 2022 Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs seeing them comfortably down on the leading pace being set by Red Bull and Ferrari.

But as Formula 1 moved on to Australia, returning to Albert Park for the first time since 2020, would Mercedes come back strong in different conditions and on a smooth surface?

Well, the answer after qualifying was no. Lewis Hamilton will line-up P5 and George Russell P6, though both drivers were narrowly either side of a second slower than Charles Leclerc’s pole time in the Ferrari.

So, Mercedes do not look like a contender to win the Constructors’ Championship for a ninth season in succession, but Wolff still sees a 20% chance pre-race.

“I think we are on the back foot, if I look at it from a mathematical standpoint and probability I would say the odds are 20/80,” said Wolff after qualifying, as quoted by ESPN.

“But this is motor racing and in motor racing anything can happen.

“Teams can DNF and if we unlock the potential of the car we are right back in the game. So as a racer I would say it’s probably 40/60 and as a