Following engine concerns at Spa: Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff speaks plainly

Both Mercedes stars were puzzled by the lack of speed on the straights after the start of the latest Grand Prix at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who nevertheless managed to win the race in Belgium, admitted: “That was absolutely mad! To be honest, I was so confused about what was happening, because Max just flew past me before Eau Rouge, and then I overtook him again. Then I saw Charles almost right next to me, and I thought to myself: ‘What on earth is going on here?’ I had no idea.”

And George Russell, who fell back and ultimately became the victim of a collision with Lewis Hamilton through no fault of his own, complained: “I had a problem with the boost; the turbo wasn’t working properly, so I had zero per cent battery power when I reached the top of Eau Rouge. To be honest, that was just plain dangerous. I was overtaken by three cars and shouldn’t have got into that situation in the first place – that’s what annoys me the most.”

It wasn’t just George Russell who struggled with problems

Team principal Toto Wolff explained to colleagues at ‘Sky Sports F1’ immediately after the chequered flag: “We had a problem with all the Mercedes engines, which meant we had less power on the straights.”

And ahead of the next showdown in Budapest, the Viennese team principal speaks plainly: “So far, we’ve shown in every race that we have the necessary performance. However, we haven’t yet been able to translate that potential into results sufficiently. We’ve lost points due to self-inflicted problems and are aware that we need to improve.”

Wolff promises: “The team is working flat out to understand the problems, resolve them and ensure that we provide both drivers with the tools they need to make the most of every race weekend.”

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