Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff admits that his team is facing financial constraints in the development battle with Ferrari and McLaren. The German racing team won the first six races of the season but has since seen the competition catch up. Especially McLaren has made a significant step with recent upgrades – Lando Norris took his second consecutive victory in Zandvoort.
Read more Dutch thank you note Nico Hülkenberg after farewell GP Zandvoort: ‘Heartwarming audience’
Mercedes brought its last major update during the Canadian GP, while Ferrari followed with new parts in Spain and McLaren introduced a comprehensive package in Hungary. Both competitors also came with new developments in Zandvoort. According to Wolff, Mercedes cannot keep up that pace indefinitely. “We don’t have the money to stop developments in the car,” he said to Sky Sports in Zandvoort. “We try to spread that evenly over the season, based on our calculations of when we can implement the biggest updates and optimize the championship points.”
Different strategies
The Mercedes team boss emphasizes that the team simply has to make choices within the financial rules. “But we can only do what we can. That’s why it’s a development race.” He does see that every upgrade from the competition has immediate consequences for Mercedes. “If you introduce an upgrade, the top teams will gain at least a few tenths of a second with it. That’s what you lose. So yes, the ride has been a bit tougher than at the start of the year.” All teams are working this season with the same budget cap of 215 million dollars, which according to Wolff means that timing of investments plays a key role.
Read more Laurent Mekies critical after disappointment in Zandvoort: ‘Have taken a step back’
Wolff expects it will only become clear later how Ferrari and McLaren have divided their development budget. “You will see towards the end of the season whether they can invest as much in the car as they do now. Some may have a different strategy and spend more at the beginning and middle of the year than at the end.” Mercedes has only planned its next major upgrade for the Bahrain GP in Malaysia. Still, Kimi Antonelli limited the damage in the Netherlands with a second place. He maintains his lead in the World Championship. With George Russell in P3, Mercedes also still went home with the most points.
Read everything about the Italian GP here
NOW ONLINE: 45 pages Race special GP Netherlands: our online magazine with news, reactions, analysis, and interview!
Read more Nico Rosberg understands Mercedes team orders: ‘But it hurts a lot’
