Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes, is seen in this photo taken at Imola.
After Mercedes appeared a “big step” closer to the pace in Monaco, Toto Wolff acknowledged Red Bull are “still the benchmark” in Formula 1 at the moment.
Over the weekend, Charles Leclerc secured his inaugural win for Ferrari at his home race. Meanwhile, George Russell from Mercedes managed to fend off Max Verstappen from Red Bull, with Lewis Hamilton closely following behind. The two Mercedes drivers crossed the finish line in fifth and seventh place, respectively.
Toto Wolff: Mercedes improved in Monaco but Red Bull ‘still the benchmark’
Additional reporting by Sam Cooper
Hamilton in particular looked strong for Mercedes in free practice, topping one session and running close behind Leclerc in the other two as he appeared confident in the early running, saying after FP2 that their Friday in Monaco had been the “best day we’ve had” in 2024 so far.
The narrow differences in the qualifying session resulted in the drivers securing fifth and seventh positions in the race. Team principal Wolff expressed to Austrian media that he believed the team had made significant progress in matching the pace seen at Monaco. This is particularly noteworthy as Hamilton had achieved pole position at the Hungaroring last year, a track that demands similar high-downforce capabilities.
Wolff was confident that even in race configuration, Mercedes had the capability to compete at the forefront of the field. This was despite other teams deliberately controlling their speed at a circuit known for its challenging overtaking opportunities.
“In Monaco, Wolff stated to Austrian publication OE24 that we were not only keeping up with the slow train, but also maintaining a fast pace overall.”
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But when asked if there had been a potential trend reversal and Mercedes are closer to the front, he added: “It’s difficult to say.
“McLaren has taken a significant leap forward, Ferrari has made continued progress, and although Red Bull may have slightly regressed, they remain the benchmark overall.”
Christian Horner, Red Bull’s counterpart to Wolff, is confident that other teams will soon close the gap. Despite their two-year domination and the stable technical regulations in Formula 1, Horner believes it’s inevitable for competitors to catch up.
“Inevitably,” he informed the media, which included PlanetF1.com, in Monaco.
“It’s astonishing how we’ve managed to stay ahead for so long, considering that we’re now in the third year of these regulations. It’s inevitable that convergence will occur.”
However, due to the increasing similarity in appearance, shape, and lap time of the cars, it is unavoidable that fierce competition will arise.
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