Toto Wolff said Mercedes “cannot compete for the championship” due to reliability issues that have persisted since Kimi Antonelli’s late retirement from the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
Antonelli passed teammate George Russell for second with five laps remaining in Sunday’s race before his car stalled a lap later due to a suspected powertrain issue.
It follows Russell’s battery failure in two Canadian Grand Prix races, while Mercedes’ customer teams McLaren, Alpine and Williams have also suffered problems throughout the season.
Mercedes is unsure what caused Antonelli’s retirement on Sunday, which was similar to Russell’s retirement in Canada when his car was switched off.
“If we race a car that loses fat points in the second race, we can’t compete for the championship. It’s one of two things,” Wolff said. Sky Sports F1.
“If you want to finish first, you have to finish first. That’s not enough.”
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Toto Wolff has warned Mercedes must address reliability issues if they are to fight for the championship after Kimi Antonelli’s DNF in Barcelona and George Russell’s retirement from the Canadian lead.
Antonelli’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship has been reduced to 41 points over Lewis Hamilton after the Ferrari driver’s first win in red, and he is 50 points ahead of Russell.
Mercedes’ lead in the constructors’ championship was reduced to 72 points over Ferrari. Ferrari also retired on Sunday after Charles Leclerc suffered a late-stage hydraulic problem.
“We lost 25 points in the Constructors’ Championship in Montreal and lost 18 more on Sunday so we can’t continue to have DNF cars,” Wolff said.
“We have to get over (it) and that’s No. 1. So no one is happy about that. And we’re going to make every effort to understand.”
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
George Russell retires from Canadian Grand Prix due to battery issue
Antonelli: We were fastest in the race
Antonelli, whose run of five consecutive Grand Prix wins was ended by Hamilton, was off the pace for most of the weekend compared to his Mercedes team-mate Russell.
But as the race progressed, things changed. This was especially true towards the end of the race when Russell seemed to be suffering more from his tires than his team-mates.
Antonelli would increase his points advantage over Russell to seven points by his first retirement of the season.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli recalls his late retirement from the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix due to engine failure.
“I think we were the fastest on track. Lewis was very fast at the end, but in the second we were really fast too.” Antonelli said. Sky Sports F1.
“Of course, I couldn’t catch Lewis after the virtual safety car, but I’m really happy with the win. I’m glad I got my first win with Ferrari.
“It’s very disappointing for me. I feel a little empty right now, but at the same time, this happens to everyone and the most important thing is to come back stronger.”
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
George Russell has praised former team-mate Lewis Hamilton after his first win for Ferrari.
Mercedes was unlucky with the timing of the virtual safety car, which allowed Hamilton to make a pit stop without losing the lead, effectively sealing the win for the seven-time world champion.
But before that Mercedes reacted to Hamilton’s early first pit stop, which Russell believes in retrospect was a mistake.
“I felt very comfortable at the start on the medium tires. I felt we pitted really early. Lewis promised three stops and I think we should have stuck to our own strategy,” he said. Sky Sports F1.
“It’s something we want to do with the team because we managed quite a bit in the beginning but we were still opening up that gap to Lewis. I thought we had actually switched to three but when they said we would stay with two it was a challenge.”
Formula 1’s European season continues with the Austrian Grand Prix, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 from 26-28 June. Stream Sky Sports NOW – No Commitment, Cancel Anytime
