Wolff details a key remaining Mercedes weakness after dropping back in FP3
F1 News
Mercedes could match Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren's lap times during Friday's practice session, but the German team dropped backwards slightly in FP3. Toto Wolff has explained how the temperatures caused this problem and exposed one of the remaining weaknesses. Mercedes could benefit from slightly cooler weather for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton topped the second free practice session on Friday, albeit several drivers were very close behind. Both Hamilton and Russell dropped backwards during Saturday's practice session but still finished ahead of Sergio Perez and Oscar Piastri. Hamilton was 0.346 seconds off Sainz's fastest time, with Russell slightly faster.
Wolff explains why Mercedes dropped backwards
Earlier in the weekend, Wolff confirmed Mercedes do have some updates for the Spanish Grand Prix weekend. They will look to further cement improvements from Canada, which saw them achieve their first podium position in 2024. But Wolff explained how the weather hampered them during FP3.
"You see the fine margins. When it got a little bit hotter, we were not as competitive as we were at the beginning of the session. And then we're talking about a couple of tenths up and down that decides between P1 and P4, P5 or P6. So you've got to just really bring it right to the point when it matters," Wolff told Sky Sports after FP3.
The track temperature was hotter than on Friday. The Pirelli tyres are sensitive to the conditions, and Mercedes seems to struggle with that more than their rivals. The hot weather is expected to remain for qualifying, though there is hope for Mercedes. There is expected to be more cloud cover for the Grand Prix, with air temperature down to around 22c, according to weather.com.