Whereas the German producer was buoyed by Lewis Hamilton taking the runner-up spot within the China dash final weekend, it nonetheless endured a difficult Sunday race because it got here dwelling behind McLaren and Ferrari once more.
However with no notable uptrend in its kind regardless of the efforts it has made to higher perceive its W15, Wolff thinks that it has to raise its recreation quite than assume that glimmers of hope are the fact of the place it’s at.
Chatting with Servus TV about his response to the Chinese language GP weekend, Wolff stated: “Not happy in any respect. Possibly a small spotlight with second place within the dash race, however the efficiency just isn’t there.
“We will preserve telling ourselves that there have been vibrant spots on the weekend, however now we have to take a step.
“We’ll deliver a little bit of one thing to Miami, the place hopefully we will anticipate one thing. However right this moment you are simply behind the Ferraris and behind [Lando] Norris. Simply not ok.”
Mercedes has come into the 12 months upbeat concerning the progress it has made with its W15, and its early conclusion was the platform was sturdy however had some weaknesses in high-speed corners.
Nevertheless, as occasions have progressed, the crew has uncovered extra issues with the automobile, which makes it difficult to seek out the best candy spot with the set-up.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24, Zhou Guanyu, Kick Sauber C44
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
As Wolff admitted in China, positive factors it has made with its high-speed traits have been confirmed in Japan, however this progress was on the expense of its tempo in different corners.
“I believe we completely achieved that, within the excessive pace we have been tremendous aggressive, additionally in Suzuka by way of the Esses, and it was day and night time in comparison with what we had earlier than,” stated Wolff.
“The drivers have been talking about it as one of the best automobile they’d within the final two-and-a-half years. Then we actually did not carry out within the low speeds.
“So that you achieve half a second within the excessive pace, however you lose half a second within the low pace. The equation is again to zero, so that’s one thing we have to enhance.
“We’re past the purpose of understanding and we simply want to enhance now. That’s what it must hop to, and now we have all of the information on the desk.
“We all know what we tweaked as a way to remedy the high-speed, and we all know the place the automobile was earlier than to be fast within the low-speed. Now we simply must bolt the automobile collectively that does each of them.”
Whereas Mercedes has failed to complete on the rostrum in a grand prix to this point this season, Wolff doesn’t assume this 12 months’s automobile is worse than its earlier floor impact equipment.
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Staff, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Staff, wave on the crowds throughout the driver introduction
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
As an alternative, he thinks his squad was maybe flattered earlier than when rivals like McLaren and Ferrari have been having their very own aggressive struggles.
“The benefit we had was McLaren was not racing us for the primary half of the season, so that they weren’t a competitor,” he stated.
“Ferrari wasn’t as fast and dropped the ball on a number of events and that is why we have been a podium contender and closest to Purple Bull.
“Now these groups have picked up their efficiency ranges. It is a relative recreation and immediately, what was ok for third final 12 months is now [only] ok for sixth. That is why it’s robust.
“The automobile is as troublesome because it has been previously, difficult for the drivers. George [Russell], once we mentioned it [on Saturday], stated it was the trickiest qualifying automobile he has had to this point. So total, in a means, the identical signs.”
Watch: F1 2024 Chinese language Grand Prix Evaluate – Verstappen dominates