Wolff offers a glimmer of hope for Mercedes

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff confirmed that the Silver Arrows do leave Australia in a better state and with a fantastic team spirit.

The signs had not been promising for Mercedes after Friday practice, with both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton struggling to break into the top 10, but that changed with a strong qualifying performance, leaving Hamilton to line-up P5 and Russell P6.

Hamilton was unlucky to suffer from the timing of the second Safety Car come race day, but Russell did benefit, finishing the race P3 with an unwilling helping hand from Max Verstappen, who had retired while running P2 for the second time in three races.

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Hamilton meanwhile crossed the line P4.

So, Wolff believes that some progress has been made – “more lessons learned” and even if the W13 is still no match for Ferrari or Red Bull, he sees a fantastic spirit within the team and a healthy driver dynamic.

This moment. One Team. pic.twitter.com/vq25C2KGzJ

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) April 10, 2022

“We are leaving Melbourne in a better state than when we arrived- more lessons learned, more data to analyse and more points on the board,” Wolff said.

“Clearly we haven’t got the pace yet to challenge Ferrari and Red Bull but we know where we need to seek performance.

“One factor that leaves me very optimistic for the future is the mindset and strength of the team. Everyone in the UK, in Stuttgart and in the travelling race team is pulling together every ounce