P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Despite introducing upgrades for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Mercedes remained in the bottom half in Q3.
Mercedes faced disappointment in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix qualifying, falling short of the pole position battle, but Team Principal Toto Wolff sees improvement in their development direction at Imola. Reigning champion Max Verstappen secured his seventh pole of the season, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton settling for sixth and eighth places in the upgraded W15 car. Russell has shown impressive speed compared to Hamilton, being only a thousandth of a second slower than Carlos Sainz of Ferrari. Despite the setbacks, Wolff is encouraged by the reduced gap to rivals like Ferrari, believing Mercedes can bounce back gradually but not overnight. While Hamilton struggled with his pace, more upgrades are on the way to enhance the team’s performance, as Wolff emphasizes their positive trajectory and the need for patience in reaching their desired positions.
