The boss of the Mercedes team, Toto Wolff, recently stated that his team is willing to wait until the end of 2024 before potentially hiring Max Verstappen. When news of Mercedes’ current driver’s departure was announced, Wolff expressed that they are not in a hurry to find a replacement. However, he hinted at the possibility of Verstappen joining the team in the future.
During an interview in Barcelona, Wolff openly discussed the team’s plans for their lineup of drivers. He revealed that Mercedes has been talking to Verstappen about a possible move. These discussions even included negotiations for a potential agreement. However, Wolff has decided to postpone making a final decision until later in the year.
Wolff explained that they want to keep their options open for now. They want to see how things unfold with Verstappen and also monitor the progress of their young driver. The team is considering waiting until September, October, or even November before making a final decision. Due to this uncertainty, Wolff believes it is better for Carlos Sainz to explore other options instead of waiting for Mercedes.
Despite his optimism, Wolff acknowledged the mistakes made by his team in Barcelona. He admitted that these mistakes should not overshadow the progress their car has made. He specifically mentioned that their strategy with Russell was clearly incorrect. The team made several mistakes, including a three-second loss in a pit stop for Russell. This issue affected Russell’s final position, as he could have finished in third or even second place.
Wolff emphasized that, if these errors are disregarded, they were only 15 seconds behind the leaders. Additionally, they were 10 seconds ahead of the first two drivers. This indicates that Mercedes was actually much closer to the best performances than it may seem. Wolff stressed that there are valid reasons to be optimistic about their performance and the improvements made to the car.
In conclusion, Toto Wolff believes that if they had avoided errors such as the three-second loss in the pit stop, the Spanish Grand Prix could have been in the hands of Mercedes. However, Lewis Hamilton had a strong weekend and secured third place, while his teammate Russell finished fourth, earning crucial points for the team.
