Toto Wolff makes latest W15 admission over more Mercedes win chances

Despite building up serious “momentum” going into the summer break, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff still does not believe they are yet at the stage where they can challenge for victory every race.

Mercedes has returned to form in impressive fashion in F1 2024, their first win of the season in Austria – courtesy of George Russell – the start of a run which produced three wins out of four races going into the summer shutdown.

Mercedes make ‘good steps’ in tackling W15 weaknesses

And F1 2024 is preparing to resume, with Circuit Zandvoort – home of the Dutch Grand Prix – ready to kick-off a 10-round dash to the final chequered flag in Abu Dhabi.

Mercedes, currently P4 in the Constructors’ Championship , will attempt to close the gap to rivals ahead, Ferrari the closest target 79 points up the road, with McLaren and Red Bull 100 and 142 clear respectively.

Continuing to stack up the wins would go a long way to addressing those gaps, though Wolff has urged some caution, expressing his belief that Mercedes are not yet in a position to challenge for the win every time.

“We are ready to get back racing this weekend in Zandvoort,” he said.

“Ahead of the summer break, we built momentum with an improved car and stronger results. We will look to continue that progress into the final 10 races of the season.

“We know we have ground to make up. We are not yet able to compete for victories at every Grand Prix.

“We have made good steps in improving the W15’s weaknesses though and will continue to work hard to take more.

“If we can do so, then we will close the gap to those ahead in both championships.”

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Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari have all joined Red Bull on the F1 2024 victory scene, bringing a close at this stage to the Red Bull dominance. The first 14 rounds of F1 2024 produced seven different Grand Prix winners.

And Mercedes’ seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton – a victor at Silverstone and Spa this year – says it is “fantastic” for Formula 1 to see such competitive action at the front of the grid.

“It’s really fantastic, I think, for the sport, to be having such close teams and drivers,” he said. “The pedigree of drivers at the top today is really elite and amazing.

“We didn’t expect to be competing with the McLarens or the Red Bulls at this point in the season, you know, with how we started off, so for us to now have closed up and be… It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season, for sure.”

Defeating Championship leader Max Verstappen at his home race will be no easy task though for any challenger, Verstappen having won every Dutch Grand Prix since it returned to the calendar in 2021.

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