Toto Wolff has insisted that Mercedes is the underdog in Formula 1 this season, after Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari opened a championship advantage with victory in Monaco.
Mercedes dominated Formula 1 between 2014 and 2016, storming to 51 wins from 59 races and three ‘double’ championships, but has been challenged by Ferrari under revised 2017 regulations.
Ferrari and Mercedes have shared three victories apiece this season, with the Italian team moving into a 17-point advantage in the Constructors’ championship as a result of its 1-2 in Monaco.
Vettel, meanwhile, now holds a 25-point lead over Lewis Hamilton, and Wolff has emphasised that Mercedes is the underdog in the sport this year.
“I like the notion of underdog – as people always feel for the underdog win,” said Wolff.
“Probably we have been since the beginning of the season. We are dropping in and out of the tyre window. We never had both cars over a race weekend within that window.
“We have seen an exceptional performance from Valtteri [Bottas] in Sochi, but weren’t able to replicate that on Lewis’s car.
“And we have seen an exceptional performance from Lewis in Barcelona – but not on Valtteri’s car. And it’s been going on like that the whole season so far.
“So yes, we are the underdog, and yes, we need to catch up – that is the reality at this very moment.”
Wolff also added that beating Ferrari was not on Mercedes’ radar in Monaco, given the pace displayed by its rival.
“The pace was not there, we lacked pace,” he said.
“Sebastian was told on the radio to go into engine mode five, but he replied that this is not possible, so we knew that he was cruising along and just waiting for his opportunity.
“ So had we tried an undercut on Seb we would probably also have lost fourth [with Bottas], as it was clear that our enemy was the Red Bull behind us and not the Ferraris ahead.”
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