Wolff pinpoints what makes Madrid qualifying a make-or-break affair

After George Russell topped FP1 and Kimi Antonelli set the pace in FP2, Mercedes remained at the top of the timesheets in FP3, with Antonelli posting a 1:32.797. The Italian finished 0.166 seconds clear of Charles Leclerc, with Oscar Piastri 0.189s behind in third and Lando Norris 0.236s off the benchmark in fourth, leaving four drivers from four different teams separated by less than a quarter of a second ahead of qualifying.

Speaking to Sky Sports at the end of FP3, the Austrian admitted that the picture remains difficult to predict ahead of qualifying. Wolff highlighted how close the field had been in final practice, stressing that putting together a clean lap without mistakes or traffic could prove decisive. He also pointed to Q1 as a potential challenge with all the cars on track, while the possibility of yellow or red flags could influence the timing of the decisive runs in Q3.

Wolff also pointed to Mercedes' behaviour on the soft tyre, explaining that the team struggles more to extract performance on the first flying lap, with the second attempt generally proving quicker. He suggested tyre temperatures could be playing a part, while noting that some of Mercedes' rivals are showing a similar pattern.

The Austrian also said both Russell and Antonelli are positive about the new Madrid circuit, although he believes qualifying will reward those able to push closest to the limit without making a costly mistake, especially with overtaking expected to be extremely difficult in the race.