Toto Wolff says Mercedes is still a “long way” off from closing its performance deficit to Red Bull as it bids to return to Formula 1 championship contention next year.
After eight consecutive constructors’ titles in a row, Mercedes is set to record its lowest finish of the V6 hybrid era after struggling to get on top of the 2022 regulations.
But having overcome teething problems with the W13 at the beginning of the season, Mercedes’ progress in recent races has revived hopes it can return to prominence in 2023.
The German manufacturer believes is now has a clear understanding of the changes it needs to make for next year, but Mercedes F1 chief Wolff is refusing to get complacent, insisting there is no guarantee it will be fighting at the frong of the field.
“[I’m] never confident, I always see the glass half empty,” Wolff said, as quoted by Motorsport.com. “So there is nothing to really see it positive. I’ve just heard nine wins in a row [for Red Bull], so there is no reason to be overwhelmed with finishing second and fourth. We have a long way to catch up.
“We have the winter. I think we’re doing some good development on the car. Some of the things we are finding might be bigger steps than just adding a few steps of downforce. But we’re giving it whatever we have and more in order to bring us back into the position to fight for a championship.”
Mercedes’ on-track gains means it heads into the final two rounds with an outside chance of overhauling Ferrari for second place in the constructors’ championship.
But while leapfrogging the Scuderia would mark an incredible turnaround for the team given its issues earlier in the season, Wolff would prefer to see Mercedes end its victory drought.
“The win would be proof that our car is back to fight for wins,” he said. “P2 could also be because the others dropped the ball and you’re just scoring more points.
“It would definitely be some consolation, because Ferrari had the quickest car at the beginning of the season,” he said about the runner-up spot.
“Finishing ahead of them would be great, but again, it’s not our main priority. The main priority is to understand the car and have a quick automobile on the track.”
Mercedes is on the verge of going an entire campaign without a victory for the first time since 2011, but came close to ending its winless streak at both the United States and Mexico Grand Prix’s.
Despite poor tyre choice hurting its chances in both races, Wolff believes Mercedes must not ignore the bigger picture having come a “long way” from the first half of 2022.
“The thing is, we are racers, and the moment we can kind of see it in front of us, we just want to grab it,” Wolf said.
“Therefore, there is always a sense of frustration. But we have come from such a long way, and here we are. We are racing for a win, racing for both cars on the podium, the Ferraris are behind us. So you need to stay humble and of what we achieved while still reaching for the stars.”
