Following their sixth and seventh place finishes at the Imola F1 round, both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell expressed satisfaction with the improvements made by their team, Mercedes, although they acknowledged the significant strides made by their rivals McLaren and Ferrari.
Hamilton, who ended the race in P6, noted a small mistake that cost him valuable time but emphasized the overall strong race pace of the team. He highlighted the need to continue pushing for further updates to match the advancements made by their competitors.
Russell, who qualified in P6 and finished in P7 after an additional pit stop, echoed Hamilton’s sentiments, emphasizing the team’s relentless pursuit of performance improvements. Despite the modest results, Russell stressed the team’s motivation and determination to maximize their potential.
Team boss Toto Wolff acknowledged the frustration of finishing outside the podium positions but took pride in the progress made by Mercedes in recent races. He emphasized the importance of incremental gains and the team’s commitment to closing the gap to the front-runners.
Explaining Russell’s additional pit stop, Wolff cited concerns over tire wear and the opportunity to secure an extra point for the fastest lap. While it cost Russell a position, Wolff emphasized the team’s strategic decision-making to maximize their points haul.
Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director, Andrew Shovlin, praised the team’s upgrade package but acknowledged the need for further improvements to compete with the top three teams. He emphasized the team’s dedication to ongoing development and expressed confidence in their ability to continue making progress.
Overall, while the results at Imola may not have met Mercedes’ expectations, the team remains focused on advancing their performance and closing the gap to their competitors in the upcoming races.
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