Wolff not happy: "We are not fast and have reliability problems"

Mercedes has had an unusual start of the Formula 1 season. On the first two days the team had major problems with their gearbox and so far they have done far less laps than planned. Toto Wolff admits the problems are worrying.

Problems for Mercedes cause for concern for Wolff

Valtteri Bottas was only able to complete six laps on the first day, while the gearbox had to be changed after the first lap. Hamilton was also unable to complete as many laps as hoped; he was struggling with balance issues. On Saturday, Hamilton spun off the track and ended up in the gravel trap, causing the team to lose even more time.

We had a terrible start'

Team boss Toto Wolff is therefore unhappy with Mercedes' first two days. "We've had a terrible start this year, unlike other years. We are not fast and we have reliability problems, but it is a situation where we have to show how we react to something like this," Wolff told Sky Italia.

He admits he is worried. "Yes, it does scare me. We haven't changed the gearbox design, but we have seen two problems. That's alarming because we risk not being able to finish a race, but also in terms of costs."

However, Wolff is confident that things will work out, even after Hamilton's spin on Saturday. "He is not nervous and we are not nervous, but we have to understand where things went wrong. Many new things are not working, and the balance of the car is the biggest problem," Wolff said.