Mercedes hasn't managed 2019 F1 updates as 'optimally' as possible
Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff admits that the team's form relative to rival Ferrari has suffered in part due to a lack of upgrades at recent grands prix
Wolff said a switch of focus to 2020 has prompted a slow down in development, although there will be new parts at the next race in Suzuka.
Asked if recent results are due to Ferrari improving or Mercedes - which claimed its first win since the summer break at Sochi last weekend, though only after Ferrari had led - underperforming, Wolff said: "I think the truth will be somewhere in the middle.
"I think they have and continue to make big steps in straightline performance, and they have had a good car in Singapore, a very good car in Sochi.
"If you put these dots together you are setting the benchmark. And this is what they did this last two weekends.
"In the same time, we haven't brought upgrades since a long time onto the car, and we probably haven't managed things as optimum as you can manage.
"But also we've been a bit unlucky also with our calls, and in the last few races we could have won some of these races, and we didn't. And that bad luck turned into good luck [in Sochi]."
Wolff said the lack of recent updates was a strategic decision.
"You've got to manage your resource in the right way, also looking into next year," he said.
"That is something which we consider very carefully.
"There will be a little thing in Suzuka, that we are just interested to explore. But not the big steps that we had when we pushed very hard until the summer."
Asked if that exploration was aimed at 2020, he added: "As the regulations stay the same it's all part of the same thinking."
This year's Mercedes has been characterised as a significantly more 'draggy' car than the Ferrari, but Wolff said changing philosophy was not a main focus of future development.
"It's something we're looking at, but you need to put it into perspective," he said.
"Between a draggy car and a not draggy car, probably the two extremes you see on track, on the whole grid you will find two-tenths difference.
"This is what you can extract in putting lots of bits on the car, versus having a streamlined car. So it has not such a big effect.
"It has an affect, but it's not the main effect."
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Krack: Aston Martin F1 team no longer in “no-man’s land”
Gasly rues costly floor damage from Ocon contact in F1 Japanese GP
How an F1 underachiever became a Japanese political player
Mercedes becomes first F1 team to exceed £500m turnover
Mercedes form leaves Wolff in two minds on F1 2025 driver path
The F1 breakthroughs Mercedes made in Japan - and what's next
"Complete s***show" - Does the DTM test still make sense in its current form?
F1 publishes sustainability gains amid 2030 net zero push
Alpine fast-tracks F1 floor upgrade to China amid recovery push
How Haas delivered its F1 "game changer"
What the Chinese GP's highlights reveal about its first F1 race for five years
The secrets of F1 turbocharging explained
Why Alpine’s rigorous training camp yields telling insights into its juniors
Ranking Derek Warwick’s top 10 greatest races
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments