© Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says it is important for Mercedes to remain calm and balanced in the way they approach each race weekend.
Mercedes started the United States Grand Prix weekend in dominant fashion with a 1-2 in Friday’s first free practice. However, by the time qualifying rolled around, the German team was firmly behind Red Bull.
Toto Wolff says the team must not let these swings affect them.
“We need to be careful in the team that we are not swinging too much between mania and depression,” the Austrian said.
“We need to really eke forward with our understanding of the car. There was never a certain point where I thought ‘We are not going to make this’.
“But also, not getting ahead of ourselves after a day like Friday. The general feedback was that ‘You guys are dominating now and what is Red Bull going to do about it?’
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“Fast forward 24 hours and it had gone the opposite way. So I think it is really about exploiting the product – I call the car the product.
“How do we tune the product? How do we deliver the performance? That is what is going to make the difference between winning and losing.”
In the last two races Valtteri Bottas has been hit with two grid penalties due to two engine swaps, but Wolff believes his performance will be crucial for the championship in the remaining five races.
“It was always very clear that it would be difficult from where he started because of the engine penalty to make it back to the sharp end.
“He performed brilliantly in the last race [in Turkey] and I think he did very well [in the US], so we just need to keep it up as a team.
“Both drivers need to score and I have no doubt Valtteri will be a very strong contributor to not only a constructors’ championship but also a drivers’ championship,” concluded Wolff.
