After 12 years with Lewis Hamilton as a core part of Mercedes’ Formula 1 team, Toto Wolff experienced his first Grand Prix without the Brit under his wing.
The seasoned team principal has since admitted that during the Australian Grand Prix, he repeatedly found himself following Hamilton’s Ferrari as if he were still part of the Mercedes team.
“I caught myself looking at the screens at times, and I saw it as if we had three drivers,” he said, according to Formula 1.
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Mercedes Off to a Strong Start
While Mercedes may have missed Hamilton, the team delivered an impressive performance in Melbourne.
George Russell secured a third-place finish, while rookie Kimi Antonelli crossed the line in fourth—after a dramatic conclusion in which a five-second penalty briefly dropped him to fifth before Mercedes successfully overturned it.
Meanwhile, Hamilton and Ferrari had a tougher day at the office, finishing in eighth and tenth place, respectively.
Though Wolff was pleased with the team’s performance, he emphasized that there is still work to be done.
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McLaren and Red Bull a Step Ahead
According to Wolff, McLaren and Red Bull currently seem to be the teams to beat.
He particularly praised Red Bull’s ability to turn a difficult start to the weekend into a strong race and acknowledged that Mercedes still has ground to cover before reaching the top.
So, while Mercedes has had a solid start to the season, there’s no doubt they have even bigger ambitions.
