Formula 1 | Wolff castigates Monaco layout and Alonso’s ‘Formula 2’
Toto Wolff had few reasons for satisfaction for Mercedes F1 after George Russell’s 5th place and Lewis Hamilton’s 8th in Monaco, and he was even quite upset.
The Austrian leader was indeed annoyed by two things: the characteristics of the Monaco circuit, then by Fernando Alonso who slowed down and blocked Lewis Hamilton for a long time while managing his tires.
“It was a chaotic race in Monaco, and I repeat it but we have to review this circuit, it should not be possible to drive 5 seconds off the pace like a Formula 2 and still have a procession. It is a fantastic and spectacular place, but it would be better if the race was on the same level. With the length of the race, between the gears and the interruptions, it felt more like an NFL game than a Grand Prix, but I don’t see not what we ask could do more.”
“We have to give credit to the race direction who handled this difficult situation. The rain was torrential at the start, then there was an electrical problem which prevented us from starting.”
“When we finally hit the track, it was a very good afternoon for George, and very frustrating for Lewis. He spent many laps stuck behind Esteban (Ocon), who was penalized for the collision, then he “There was Alonso’s very slow pace, without which Lewis would have fought at the level of Lando (Norris) and George. It reminds us how important the position on the track is here, and that we are the third team on the track. We learned a lot from the car this weekend, and it will allow us to gain experience to get back to the front of the field.”
Andrew Shovlin, director of track engineering at Mercedes F1, made a simple observation: the W13 simply did not have enough performance to do better this weekend in the Principality.
“It was a frustrating weekend for the team and the drivers, we weren’t fast either on a lap or in the race. George did a good job of taking 5th from Lando (Norris) when everyone world ends at the slicks and hold it until the end. Luckily it only lasted one lap.”
“Lewis didn’t have the easy part and he found himself sandwiched between the two Alpines for most of the race. impossible. The cool conditions also made it difficult to manage the tires and our drivers lost performance at the end of the race.”
“We clearly have work to do before going to Baku, because there are many similarities between certain sectors and slow corners and we saw in Monaco that this is our weak point.