Mercedes came out of the Formula 1 summer shutdown for the Dutch Grand Prix on a hot streak. The Silver Arrows put together a string of six straight podium finishes, including wins in three of the four races ahead of the break.
That streak came to an end in Zandvoort. Lewis Hamilton endured a shocking elimination in Q2 on Saturday, as well as a three-place grid penalty following the session, and while he put together a strong recovery drive to finish in the points, he managed just a P8.
Teammate George Russell, who started fourth, could only finish one place ahead of Hamilton.
Now Toto Wolff and Mercedes are hoping for a bounce back performance at the “Temple of Speed.”
“It was a disappointing weekend in Zandvoort. We didn’t perform to the level we expected. Lewis drove a strong race to recover to the points, but qualifying out of position limited the returns,” said Wolff in the team’s media preview of the Italian Grand Prix. “George meanwhile suffered with high degradation and therefore didn’t have the pace to fight with for the top-six.
“The team is already working hard analyzing all the data to understand what caused this. Whilst it’s a quick turnaround, we have the opportunity to bounce back straight away in Monza,” added Wolff. “I am confident we can do so. It is a very different circuit to Zandvoort, and likely even quicker this year with some of the changes they have made. We will also need to understand the impact of the track resurfacing that has been carried out. Monza is always a fascinating challenge for both teams and drivers, and one we are looking forward to.”
In addition to Mercedes hoping for a return to form, the team is set to give young phenom Andrea Kimi Antonelli his first taste of an F1 weekend. Antonelli will drive Russell’s W15 during the first practice session on Friday, and it is widely assumed that the team will announce that Antonelli will drive for Mercedes next season.
Wolff highlighted Antonelli’s upcoming FP1 session.
”The atmosphere is always special as the Italian fans are passionate about their racing. That will be even more so in FP1 as Kimi Antonelli steps into George’s car for a rookie session,” added Wolff. “Kimi has been part of our junior program since he was 12 so this is an exciting moment for both him and the team. I am sure he will enjoy the experience of driving in front of his home crowd, and in turn I am sure they will be excited to see a new Italian talent on track.
“We look forward to seeing Kimi in the W15 on Friday morning and contributing to the team’s start to the weekend.”
