© Jiri Krenek for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says George Russell’s P6 “is probably realistic or better than I would have expected from Monaco”.
Mercedes didn’t have a great qualifying in Monaco, with George Russell in P6 and Lewis Hamilton in P8. However, Toto Wolff says it’s perhaps even better than expected.
“Every lap looks different, the car behaviour changes and we had it last year – we had a car in P2 and a car that went out in Q1 I think it was, or Q2,” the Austrian said.
“So, I think I would even – I don’t know if this is now managing my expectations – but I would say that us being here where we are with George, it is probably realistic or better than I would have expected from Monaco.
“Even though, of course, we can’t be happy with such performance but it could have been worse.”
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At the Spanish Grand Prix, Mercedes seemed to get on top of some of their issues, most notably porpoising. Wolff was asked if Monaco was the worst track that could have followed Barcelona.
“Pretty much, yes. Because you can ask what are the lessons that we learned in Barcelona and how do they apply to Monaco. There is just nothing you can apply because it is so different.”
Ultimately Wolff says today’s result is in line with Mercedes’ current level of performance.
“The car is too stiff and too low and it is just the same gap like it was in qualifying in Barcelona. It is probably realistic where we ended up.
“The car is good for fifth and sixth and Norris beat us to it but we shouldn’t have expected any miracles, particularly here in Monaco,” he concluded.
