P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admitted the team is clueless to explain the reasons behind its “worst performance of the year” in the F1 Saudi Arabian GP.
Mercedes seemed poised for a podium finish in Jeddah, with George Russell starting third and Andrea Kimi Antonelli in fifth. However, Russell struggled with tire degradation, ultimately finishing 18 seconds behind the leaders. Team principal Wolff admitted this was the team’s worst performance this year, with unexpected issues like blistering and overheating tires. Russell, while fighting to keep up with Max Verstappen, fell back during the second stint due to a lack of pace. Despite finishing in fifth, Russell highlighted that Mercedes’ overheating issues were the root cause of their struggles in competing with other teams. The team now needs to analyze and address these setbacks to improve their performance in future races.
