Toto Wolff believes that even if Lewis Hamilton had led at the first corner, Max Verstappen would have won the race in Mexico.
Even if the reigning World Champion had led at Turn 1, Mercedes team leader Toto Wolff admits he doubts Lewis Hamilton could have won the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Despite passing pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas at Turn 1, Hamilton remained in second place after the first corner. After Max Verstappen of Red Bull went around the outside of both Mercedes cars in the braking zone, the Dutchman was untouchable for the majority of the tournament.
At the checkered flag, Verstappen was more nearly 15 seconds ahead of Hamilton, and Wolff admitted that there wasn’t much Mercedes could have done better.
“You have to congratulate Red Bull, because the pace was just on another level,” Wolff said.
“I don’t think we could have won the race, even if we would have stayed ahead in the first corner, because they could have driven circles around us around the pit-stops. So, at the end, I think for Lewis’ championship, it was damage limitation.
“As for the Constructors’, Valtteri spinning out at Turn 1 was very painful.”
What changed from Saturday’s qualifying?
Mercedes took a surprising front row in Saturday’s qualifying session, despite Red Bull’s performance being expected, and Wolff added that Sunday’s race played out exactly how the team had predicted after looking at the Friday long runs.
“I don’t know what they did wrong yesterday in qualifying, and what went towards us, but that is the pace we’ve seen on Friday,” Wolff explained.
“[It was] worse than we had hoped, but you have to take it on the chin.”
With the race in Interlagos in Brazil next weekend also taking place at a high altitude, which appears to favour Red Bull, Wolff said that Mercedes will do everything possible to keep up with their championship competitors.
“Well, I hope we can break the pattern, because it was a Red Bull track [in the past],” he said.
“But we’re going to give it all we have and try to fight back, because there is then another three coming.”
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