Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff has admitted that the team is “not in the fight” against Red Bull and Ferrari at the front in this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Mercedes entered the second round of the season optimistic amid the revelation last weekend that engine cooling concerns had thwarted its true potential in Bahrain.
Although both drivers have revelled in a more compliant car compared to its predecessor, Lewis Hamilton rued that he had no confidence in the W15’s rear in Jeddah.
The seven-time World Champion was seen trialling a more loaded rear wing on his car in the final practice session as he assesses which direction to go for qualifying.
“Lewis has tried more downforce to see how it works for him, and we will sit down now in the engineering meeting where we will choose the final set-up,” Wolff told Sky F1.
Hamilton has not been classified above eighth place this weekend and dropped to ninth in FP3, three-tenths behind his team-mate George Russell, who wound up fourth.
But while Russell snatched third on the grid in Bahrain and has been competitive again this weekend, Wolff believes that Mercedes’ ceiling will be the third-fastest team.
“I don’t think we are in the fight, because Max [Verstappen] is in a league of his own based on his race simulation pace,” Wolff conceded.
“I would say, it’s [Sergio] Perez, the Ferraris then it’s very close between us, McLaren and Aston Martin.”
Hamilton ended up one place ahead of British compatriot Oliver Bearman, who is embarking upon his F1 debut for Ferrari in place of the unwell Carlos Sainz this weekend.
Bearman, 18, posted the 10th fastest time and was within seven-tenths of Charles Leclerc. However, Wolff isn’t surprised with his swift adaptation to Ferrari’s SF-24 car.
“You can see the younger kids coming in they are so competitive,” Wolff said when asked about Bearman. “You put a car out of F2 into a Ferrari, and he is competitive.
“I don’t think he put the engine in the right mode for the final run.”
Bearman, who partners Mercedes prospect Andrea Kimi Antonelli at Prema, was set to begin the Formula 2 Feature race from pole position prior to his F1 call-up.
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