F1 News
Wolff not concerned about cooling issues but “very strong” Ferrari
Toto Wolff says that Mercedes are in a ‘good space’ with their cooling issues they had previously dealt with but are now concerned about grip about the track and Ferrari looking ‘very strong’.
Ferrari showed yet again how much faster they are through straight line speed from Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc trading one-two finishes over Friday, with Mercedes usually the quicker through the technical parts of circuits.
But Wolff admitted that grip level was an issue that the team struggled to get on top of throughout the day as temperatures were high on the track, making it difficult for teams to get the right tyre temperatures.
Wolff said to Sky Sports: “In terms of engine cooling, we’re in a good space. It was not a problem anymore. Or, better space.
“I think it is the grip level. We have seen the Ferraris going very strong through the corners today, and that should have been us in the past.
“But, I think we are limited by surface overheating.
“It is so hot, that all teams are plateauing on the grip level.
“You overheat the surface at a certain stage and you can’t really extract downforce anymore.”
It was known that Mercedes had brought aerodynamic upgrades to the German Grand Prix, but Wolff played down whether it had made a huge effect on the cars, saying that most other teams will have brought upgrades too.
“I think everyone brought an upgrade,” he added.
“Some are advertising them more than others. But, you need to think that everyone has brought it.”
