While Ferrari and Red Bull Racing make for exciting battles up front, Mercedes is doing everything it can to secure every possible point. With George Russell in fifth place, there also seems to be a lot of speed in the Mercedes car, but Lewis Hamilton has already shown more that things are far from flawless at the reigning world champions
In fact, he qualified sixteenth and eventually managed to fight his way back to tenth place. In the points, but according to Toto Wolff far from where they want to be. He sat with slight jealousy watching the battles for victory between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.
Mercedes not among the top teams
"We were right in the middle of those fun games in the front for the last eight years. It is extremely painful to be not part of those fun games and by quite a chunk of lap time deficit," Wolff acknowledged in conversation with Reuters. So this year that's not the case and they also have a lot of work to make up for if they are to be part of it this season.
Wolff explains that the plan is to make up a lot of ground. They are now in a position the German team has never been in before, as they were the dominant force in F1 from 2014. "We're not going to rest until we are back in the mix. It's no fun at all. An exercise in humility and it's going to make us stronger in the end."