Kada Sárközi joined GPblog as an editor ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season. He graduated with a BA in Sports Journalism in the UK and has covered Grands Prix and other F1 events live.
Mercedes finished the first Grand Prix of the season with a P5 and a P7 in Bahrain. George Russell finished in fifth place, and Lewis Hamilton was seventh. Toto Wolff, the constructor's team principal, had hoped for more results. Next weekend, the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix is scheduled. Wolff also looks ahead to that.
"Our race in Bahrain was best described as underwhelming. We were hopeful of a stronger showing after our performance in practice and qualifying. Both drivers were pleased with the balance earlier in the weekend, and the more stable platform provided by the W15. Unfortunately on Saturday evening, our cooling performance didn't match our predictions," Wolff explained.
Wolff: 'Frustrating way'
With fifth and seventh place, Mercedes' results were nevertheless less than they might have hoped beforehand. Especially after Russell drove to P3 in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Mercedes' team boss confirmed. "It was a frustrating way to start the season but one we will learn from," he said.
"We've got an opportunity to take a step forward immediately. Jeddah is a street track with a lot of high-speed content. It will be good to continue our learning with the new car on a very different circuit to Bahrain. We will be aiming for a more consistent weekend and to understand our true performance relative to the rest of the grid."
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