Toto Wolff: “The driver’s role has been exaggerated” / Formula 1

Lewis Hamilton had a mixed weekend in China: the Mercedes driver shone with second place in qualifying and the race itself. In the fight for GP starting positions, he did not make it past Q1 in eighteenth place. He finally finished the race on Sunday in ninth place, while teammate George Russell crossed the finish line in sixth place.

Team boss Toto Wolff told his Sky team-mates: “Sixth and ninth place is not at all what we expected. Now you can find another reason why it was that we actually put the car in the wrong place. Lewis set a development trend that was so bad that the car didn’t go around the corner.”

And in the same breath, the Viennese said: “Every weekend there is an explanation, and that is not enough. Now we will put a little something in the car in Miami and see how it works. But you have to wake up every time, even after a result like this.” He doesn’t know what the new parts of Miami will bring. “I’ve been cautious over the last two years, but I hope I can take a good step forward again.”

The 52-year-old answered the question of whether the team will rely more on Russell’s opinion when deciding the direction of development in view of the departure of Lewis Hamilton: “The truth is that the role of the driver in the development of the car is. always very overestimated becomes. Once a year there is input for the future development of the car, and then throughout the year we only get feedback on how the car is doing. But in that sense, it is harder to lose an engineer who joins a team 12 months later than a driver who changes teams next week outsider.”

In fact, Wolff was also asked about the latest situation in the search for a successor to the seven-time champion. “We don’t have a firm name in mind yet, but there’s been a few interesting conversations that have been going on, a few interesting options,” was his reply. « I am also looking forward to entering a new era with a new driver next year. Lewis and I have been working together for 12 years now, longer than any driver or team has ever done before, which is amazing. But now there is refreshment.”

China-GP, Shanghai International Circuit

01. Max Verstappen (NL), Red Bull Racing, 1:40:52,554 h
02. Lando Norris (GB), McLaren, +13,773 sec
03. Sergio Pérez (MEX), Red Bull Racing, +19,160
04. Charles Leclerc (MC), Ferrari, +23,623
05. Carlos Sainz (E), Ferrari, +33,983
06. George Russell (GB), Mercedes, +38,724
07. Fernando Alonso (E), Aston Martin, +43,414
08. Oscar Piastri (AUS), McLaren, +56.198
09. Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes, +57,986
10. Nico Hülkenberg (D), Haas, +1:00,476 min
11. Esteban Ocon (F), Alpine, +1:02,812
12. Alex Albon (T), Williams, +1:05,506
13. Pierre Gasly (F), Alpine, +1:09,223
14. Guanyu Zhou (RCH), Sauber, +1:11,689
15. Lance Stroll (CDN), Aston Martin, +1:22,768
16. Kevin Magnussen (DK), Haas, +1:27.553
17. Logan Sargeant (USA), Williams, +1:35,110
outside
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS), Racing Bull, collision
Yuki Tsunoda (J), Racing Bulls, Collision
Valtteri Bottas (FIN), clean, engine

World Championship Position (after 5 out of 24 Grands Prix and 1 out of 6 Sprints)

the driver
01. Verstappen 110 points
02. Perez 85
03. Leclerc 76
04. Sainz 69
05. Norris 58
06. Plate 38
07. Russell 33
08. Alonso 31
09. Hamilton 19
10. Walk 9
11. Tsunoda 7
12. Oliver Bearman (GB) 6
13. Hulkenberg 4
14. Magnussen 1
15. Alboni 0
16. Okon 0
17. Zhou 0
18. Ricciardo 0
19. 0 gas
20. Bota 0
21. Sergeant 0

Builders Cup
01. Red Bull Racing 195 Punkte
02. Ferrari 151
03. McLaren 96
04. Mercedes 52
05. Aston Martin 40
06. Running Bull 7
07. Exactly 5
08. Williams 0
09. Alpine 0
10. Sauber 0