Mercedes ambush Verstappen: "He would have been on our level"

It was good for Mercedes that the Grand Prix at Mugello finished after only one lap for Max Verstappen. The world champion had expected a more difficult afternoon with pressure from Verstappen but was able to finish the race as usual. According to the Mercedes engineers, the RB16 of Verstappen would have been competitive.

"We expected him to set us in motion. Normally in a race you have to subtract three-tenths of his qualifying delta. That's his race pace. So he would have been at our level," said the strategy men in conversation with Auto, Motor und Sport. Lance Stroll, Daniel Ricciardo and Alexander Albon never managed to put any pressure on the Mercedes W11.

"If Max had been on our heels, we might have postponed our drivers' pit stops a bit longer. We would have been able to experience the same tire drama as during the first Silverstone weekend. Fortunately, this was a warning for us. We're smarter today and are better able to interpret when drivers report vibrations," said the German team.

Of the nine Grands Prix in 2020, Mercedes won eight. Their lead in the constructors' championship is immense.