Wolff describes Mercedes as a 'victim' of the Monaco Grand Prix

10:55, 26 May

bySavannah Lenz

Mercedes CEO and team principal, Toto Wolff, believes that it is the Saturday of the Monaco Grand Prix, and not the Sunday, that the fans come to watch. He also explained how Mercedes' race went after a disastrous Saturday.

“We're motorsport people, and so the perspective I look at it is that most of the relevant sporting event is on Saturday, and it's always been.”

Wolff on Mercedes' Monaco GP

Wolff said, “What Formula One has created here is unbelievable. Grandstands full, terraces full, boats like I've never seen before. Yesterday I filmed from my terrace a traffic jam of one and a half kilometers at 2.30 in the morning.”

“That is the kind of 360-degree angle that Formula One needs to have. We have spectacular races on the Saturday, they're kind of old school tracks that function for whatever reason.”

Wolff then explained Mercedes' strategy during the race.

“We tried something. We tried an experiment with two-stop. Didn't change anything in the outcome. You had that gang at the front, who had basically free air. And then midfield, people battling for points, backing up massively."

Mercedes got into the top 10 with George Russell, but it was short-lived due to Russell getting a drive-through penalty for cutting the chicane. Wolff thinks they are a victim of other teams playing games, and that is why their race suffered.

“There were teams that were punching above their weight, like Visa Cash App, and they had to protect their position, as well as the Williams, and we were probably one of the victims of that, but we were, because our Saturday didn't go well. We had a fast car. There was not seeing any land.”