P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Toto Wolff has conceded Mercedes “never excelled” during the contemporary ground-effects era in F1.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff openly acknowledged his team’s struggle with the ground-effect regulations introduced in 2022, admitting they have failed to grasp the current ruleset. Despite their remarkable success from 2014 to 2021, winning eight consecutive constructors’ championships, Mercedes has faced challenges in reclaiming their former dominance. The team’s performance during the hybrid-era, characterized by Lewis Hamilton’s six drivers’ titles, stands in sharp contrast to their current struggles for podium finishes. The introduction of ground-effect aerodynamics has placed Mercedes in a position where they are no longer dominating races as they once did. The W13, W14, and W15 models have faced issues with performance consistency, leading to Mercedes fighting for podium positions rather than wins. Wolff’s assessment of their handling of the regulations reflects the team’s acknowledgment of their shortcomings and the difficulty of catching up to strong competitors in the current Formula 1 landscape.
