The German producer continues to be chasing its first victory of the 2023 marketing campaign with rival Ferrari the one outfit that has up to now managed to knock Purple Bull off the highest step of the rostrum this season.
However with its W14 having proven some promising tempo because of a flooring improve that arrived at the US GP, and it being so sturdy at Interlagos 12 months in the past, the squad has been singled out as a possible favorite this weekend.
However Wolff says that the strengths and weaknesses of vehicles are usually not essentially the identical this season as they had been final, so there may be little level in his squad believing that it has the bundle wanted to come back out on prime.
Requested if he felt the W14 might be a fair higher prospect for Brazil than final yr’s W13, Wolff stated: “To be trustworthy I do not know. I believe we are able to see with all groups that there’s a sure diploma of correlation of final yr’s efficiency and this yr.
“However there may be not sufficient knowledge to make that stable assumption, so I do not know. Each toes on the bottom and let’s examine the place we’re at Interlagos.”
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14
Mercedes is coming off the again of Lewis Hamilton’s second-placed finish in Mexico final weekend, which made amends for the seven-time champion dropping the same end in Austin due to an unlawful plank.
Wolff says there may be a substantial amount of encouragement available from the truth that the improved W14 seems to be extra confidence-inspiring for its drivers.
“I believe we have seen that it’s offering extra downforce, extra driveability,” he stated. “The automobile is a bit of bit much less tough.
“Nonetheless, the genes are there, Lewis stated to me [in Mexico] ‘she’s nonetheless so tough to drive though she’s sooner’, so I believe for us it was essential to see whether or not directionally we had been moving into the best instructions for subsequent yr.
“We appear to be on the best path since you should not neglect, the automobile that we have designed did not have that flooring, that airflow, these sidepods, main edges and all of the Christmas ornament across the design. So hopefully that may now be a stepping stone.”
Final yr’s race-winner George Russell sees no motive why Interlagos shouldn’t go well with the Mercedes however was aware that the unsettled climate situations predicted for the weekend might work towards the staff.
“On paper, the type of the automobile needs to be good there, because it was [in Mexico],” he defined.
“I believe the climate’s a bit up and down, however we’re positively excited to go to Brazil. Clearly tight with Ferrari within the constructors’ championship, however assured we are able to carry it house.”