Wolff: "It’s going to take a while to catch up"

The cars of 2020 will for a long time be the fastest cars ever, according to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. The 48-year-old Austrian thinks that the reduction in downforce will ensure that next year's lap times will not be as fast.

Despite the fact that the cars of 2021 remain virtually the same as those of 2020, some changes are being made. Downforce reduction should ensure that tyres do not wear out too much in the new year.

Fewer fast laps in 2021

Wolff expects that the 2020 lap times will not be met in 2021. "The aero was cut back considerably on the floor around the tires, and it's going to take a while to catch up," he told Motorsport.com .

"We're still right in the middle of our development for next year, but I doubt we will be there quickly. In that respect, and with the tires going a notch harder, I don't think we will [be] near the laptimes that we have seen this year. At least not in the first half of the year," concluded Wolff.