F1: Mercedes working hard to catch Red Bull

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Embarrassed that the mighty ‘Mercedes brand’ is getting tarnished for the second year in a row by a caffeine drink company, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has said both bases at Brackley and Brixworth are working at a “fast pace” to bring upgrades to the W14 with the hope of catching, then beating Red Bull.

“In terms of car development, it is encouraging to see that within three races, we understand the car much better, we have defined a clear direction where we need to go and I believe we are on the right trajectory,” Wolff said in an interview with Mercedes’ official website.

“We need to consolidate our understanding and hopefully over the next few races we can make another step.

“It’s also important to keep on track and not oscillate too much between exuberance and depression; to stay rational and believe in our trajectory, believe in the capability of the team.

“There will be setbacks but there will also be upgrades and plenty of work that will help us get closer to the front.

“The machine is continuing to run in Brixworth and Brackley at a fast pace. What you see on track is only the tip of the iceberg, but the performance of the car and power unit is made in these two factories.

“The mindset is great, the spirit is there and I see a lot of buzz. I believe 100 percent in our organization, because our perspective is not always on a single race weekend, not even a single season.

“It’s on trying to build our capability so we are successful over multiple years, while recognizing the fact you are never going to win every single season, because no sports team has ever done it.”