Wolff: 'Otherwise Verstappen would probably have overtaken us at the start'

Mercedes has not been so competitive before this season. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton will start from second and third respectively on Sunday. The hunt for Max Verstappen will be opened right at the start, as there are opportunities there from the slipstream. Toto Wolff is a happy man and does not even mind so much that pole position was missed.

"We will get there," Wolff laughed to Viaplay's cameras. "We were very strong in FP3, we lost pace on the way towards qualifying, but we're there and that's nice. If we started on pole, which we would have liked to do, Max would probably have overtaken us on the straight again. Starting on P2, P3 gives us more options, let's see who brakes last."

Mercedes has yet to win in 2022, and in Mexico it looks set to get a prime opportunity. Wolff therefore argues that his team is not doing it for less than a win. "It's about winning the race. I think it's between a one-stop and two-stop. The simulations are not very clear."

Watch the whole interview with Wolff below in which he also discusses whether he thinks the budget cap penalty for Red Bull Racing is severe enough or not!