With each George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli having suffered from tyre overheating on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Mercedes staff boss Toto Wolff has urged his outfit to iron out the tyre administration points.
George Russell began from third on the grid after his sensible final push lap in qualifying. Whereas he appeared snug on the medium tyres through the opening stint, he quickly after began to endure from greater ranges of degradation.
The Briton elected to pit early, and whereas Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris rejoined the observe behind Russell after their very own pit cease, the Mercedes man misplaced out to each the Ferrari and McLaren driver to complete fifth in Jeddah.
His team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli began from P5 on the grid, and appeared sturdy within the early levels of the race. Nonetheless, his tempo pale because the race progressed, and he even clipped the wall at one level.
Though Ferrari’s seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton appeared a lot stronger through the second stint, the Bologna-born managed to extract sufficient from his W16 to dissuade the Briton from chasing too onerous behind.
Assessing his outfit’s efficiency in Jeddah, Mercedes staff boss Toto Wolff claimed that the Brackley-based squad might want to iron out its points in heat situations.
“That was our worst efficiency of the yr to this point. The tempo dropped away as our tyres overheated and that was irritating. We got here into the race hoping we might compete for the rostrum however, with the restrictions we had with the tyres, P5 and P6 was the utmost for us.
“We have to analyse our efficiency, work out why that was the case, and shortly discover enhancements. The following race in Miami is one other race on a sizzling observe floor so we are going to must be higher than we have been immediately if we wish to keep away from a repeat efficiency.
“Each drivers fought onerous with the restrictions they have been dealing with. Even with larger administration at totally different levels of the race, George was at all times going to be unable to cease Leclerc and Norris coming previous.
“Kimi continued his growth to take P6 and maintain off Lewis (Hamilton). That has helped us restrict the harm to our direct opponents within the Constructors’ Championship, however we don’t depart Saudi Arabia happy with that.”
Echoing Wolff’s phrases, Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin claimed that the German-British staff might want to “get on prime of [its] tyre administration points.”
“That was our hardest race of the yr to this point. Beginning P3 and P5, we have been hopeful of being within the combat for the rostrum. In the end although, our tempo was restricted by overheating on each the Medium and Laborious compounds.
“Each drivers managed early on in every stint however, when required to push the tyre tougher, each axles suffered, and we could not extract the tempo of our opponents. George was powerless to carry off Leclerc and Norris within the closing levels, who used their brisker tyres to good impact.
“Kimi in the meantime did an excellent job to stave off Lewis (Hamilton) however P5 and P6 are usually not outcomes we’re ever going to be happy with. We all know that managing the tyres is an space we have to enhance in, and the manufacturing unit is targeted on doing that.
Shovlin continued: “Regardless of the robust night, we’ve got accomplished effectively to this point at accumulating strong factors over the primary 5 races of the season. That’s encouraging, however we have to construct on that and do extra.
“We’ve a number of sizzling races developing and we have to get on prime of our tyre administration points if we wish to compete persistently on the entrance. We’ve the chance to take action beginning in Miami in two weeks’ time.”
