Toto Wolff gives update on Mercedes upgrades ahead of Monaco GP
May 24, 2023
Monte Carlo [Monaco], May 24 : Mercedes has been struggling since the start of the 2023 F1 season. They're currently ranked third in the constructor's championship, trailing behind Aston Martin and Red Bull after five events this season.
Mercedes were originally planning to bring new updates to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to improve their chances of podiums. The new updates include new bodywork, a new floor and a new front suspension.
Team Principal and CEO, Toto Wolff was planning to bring these updates to narrow the gap between them and their rival Red Bull. Red Bull broke Mercedes's winning streak after defeating them in Driver's Championship 2021. However, due to severe flooding in Northern Italy, the event was cancelled by the F1.
The next event on the calendar was Monaco but the Monaco GP is usually not suited for major upgrades due to its slow-speed tracks and high risk of accidents. But as per Sky Sports, Mercedes has decided to bring their new upgrades to Monaco instead of waiting for Barcelona's GP.
"The revised calendar means that Monaco is now the starting point of the European leg of the season, It is a unique event but will still provide an opportunity to learn about the upgrades to W14 - but we also need to be careful not to draw too many conclusions from this one event. We are introducing the first step in a new development direction." Wolff said.
"It won't be a silver bullet; from my experience, they do not exist in our sport. We hope that it gives the drivers a more stable and predictable platform. Then we can build on that in the weeks and months ahead."
"F1 is tough competition and a meritocracy. We are not where we want to be but there's no sense of entitlement. It's just about hard work to get us to the front." Wolf concluded.
The Monaco GP will kick off on May 25th with the Race scheduled for 28th May.