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Mercedes team boss on 'big gap' to Red Bull: 'We're up for the challenge'

Mercedes team boss on 'big gap' to Red Bull: 'We're up for the challenge'

12-06-2023 15:20 Last update: 16:11
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Olly Darcy

Editor

Mercedes hopes to build on its double podium finish at the Spanish Grand Prix in Canada. But despite taking a serious step forward with the updates to the W14, Toto Wolff suspects that it will be a hugely difficult task to match the success of a fortnight ago.

"The result in Spain was a well-deserved reward for everyone's efforts at Brackley and Brixworth to bring our update package to the track. We were pleased with how it performed, and it will provide a new baseline for us to build from," Wolff said, tempering expectations for the coming weeks. According to the team boss, it's unlikely that will be at least one W14 on the podium every weekend for the rest of the season.

The 51-year-old Austrian goes on to say that the Circuit de Catalunya was also a track that suited the Mercedes car's strengths well. "And we should expect our direct competitors to be stronger in the next races. The gap to Red Bull is large, and it will take lots of hard work to close that down. Nevertheless, we're up for the challenge."

This weekend's Canadian Grand Prix is the eighth of the season. It is expected to be a slightly tougher weekend than in Spain. "With its long straights and low-speed corners, it's not a track that we expect to suit our car as well as Barcelona did. No matter where the true pace of the car is this weekend, we will aim to maximise our results. The characteristics of the circuit will also provide further opportunities to learn about the W14 and feed into our development path.

Mercedes in preparation for Canada