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Mercedes’ Sao Paulo Grand Prix efficiency was their “worst weekend in 13 years”, says group principal Toto Wolff.
Lewis Hamilton completed eighth after an uncompetitive race whereas team-mate George Russell retired from eleventh as a result of his engine was about to fail.
Wolff stated Mercedes’ lack of tempo was “baffling” and “unacceptable”.
“We can have a basically completely different automobile subsequent yr and this confirms that’s the proper factor to do,” Wolff stated.
The worst results of Mercedes’ season got here on the finish of every week that began with the announcement that chief technical officer Mike Elliott was leaving the group.
Elliott was finally chargeable for the novel and distinctive design path Mercedes selected in 2022, and which they caught with in 2023 towards Hamilton’s needs.
Mercedes had headed to Brazil with optimism after Hamilton completed second within the earlier two races within the US and Mexico, though he was disqualified in Austin for the ground being worn away an excessive amount of.
These performances got here after Mercedes launched a brand new flooring, which they believed had supplied a very good step ahead in efficiency.
“We’re a correct construction, a strong group and that did not seem like a strong group at this time,” Wolff stated. “Curiously, inside three consecutive races, you might be ending a powerful second in two and difficult Max [Verstappen] after which every week later you might be nowhere. And I consider that is simply not on.
“This automobile, the event has been extra plasters we placed on one thing not proper, and it reveals that it’s so unpredictable that it may possibly swing both facet.”
His comment is a reference to his perception that the present Mercedes is a basically flawed idea with so many main points that require a complete new automobile to rectify them.
Mercedes had been at a loss to elucidate their lack of efficiency in Brazil, however each Wolff and Hamilton stated they believed they’d run the automobile too excessive on the bumpy floor of the Interlagos observe.
That might be a legacy of their disqualification within the US.
The group additionally admitted they’d run too large a rear wing within the seek for grip within the corners, which had created an excessive amount of drag on the straights. They had been additionally struggling with extreme tyre utilization, usually a power of the automobile.
Hamilton stated: “My guess is that the ground shouldn’t be working, it’s not sucking down and it is pushed us to a better wing after which we’re massively draggy on the straights and sliding within the nook. We now have to look into why that’s the case on this tough circuit.
“The tyres had been overheating sluggish on the straights, no grip within the corners.”
Wolff stated: “We ran the automobile manner too excessive and also you carry that on. However that wasn’t the principle purpose for an absolute off-weekend.
“There’s something basically improper mechanically. It isn’t a rear wing or the automobile being barely too excessive. We’re speaking a millimetre or two. It’s efficiency however it’s not the reason for a complete off-weekend.”
Hamilton has beforehand expressed optimism that Mercedes could make an enormous step ahead over the winter however he stays involved about whether or not they’ll have the ability to catch Purple Bull, who’ve dominated this season with Max Verstappen.
He added: “All I can do is try to stay optimistic however the Purple Bull is so far-off that they’re most likely going to be very clear for the following couple of years.”
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