Mercedes chief Wolff admits no hope of catching Red Bull

Mercedes had their worst qualifying session of the campaign at the Australian GP today, leaving 7-time world champ Lewis Hamilton crushed and Toto shared he believes there is no hope of catching Red Bull soon.

Toto Wolff has admitted it's likely "an illusion to grow closer to Red Bull in the short term" at Mercedes, but added: “But I still have to believe that there is more in this car."#F1 #AusGP #Mercedes https://t.co/X3hkWiPNEN

— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) March 23, 2024

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Lewis was eliminated in Q2 and will start 11^th, his worst result in Australia since 2010, while his teammate George Russell will start 7^th at Albert Park as Mercedes’ hopes of rebounding in Melbourne sustained a big hit.

George’s fastest lap in Q3 was a gaping 8^th of a second shy of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s best, as the defending world champion took his 3^rd pole of the campaign and his 4^th straight.

Hamilton admitted there were a lot of problems with his car, while Toto gave even more details.

“I believe we have a car that’s difficult, and it would be difficult for any pilot, no matter how skilled, to achieve optimal results,” Toto admitted.