F1 | Mercedes, Wolff: “We have to be realistic, we are the third force on the track”

Qualifying in Bahrain was very negative for Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton finished in fifth position, probably giving his best given the performance not up to the level of the W13, decidedly less competitive at the moment compared to Ferrari and Red Bull. Russell will even start from ninth position, due to a tire overheating problem during the launch lap.

“We have to be realistic, and at the moment we are the third force on the track – said Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal. Lewis put the car there, while George pushed too hard on the opening lap on our recommendation, we probably made a mistake, and he couldn't take advantage of the new tyre. It's difficult to judge the performance of the power units: our data indicates that we are experiencing straight-line drag more than anyone else on the main straight, but not as much in other areas of the track. After the first two races we will make some assessments to see if we lack power. We have about half a second left per lap. Tomorrow we will see, but whatever happens we are gathering valuable knowledge. We've been in difficult situations in the past against a very strong Ferrari engine, and last year we were four tenths behind Max in the first race, so we have to keep our heads down and find the performance."