Despite the fact that George Russell is a teammate of Lewis Hamilton, Toto Wolff has insisted that he is not receiving preferential treatment at Mercedes.
In Monaco, Hamilton was outqualified by Russell for the seventh time in eight races, and he finished behind his teammate in the 78-lap race that took place on Sunday.
The modified front wing that Mercedes introduced at Monte Carlo was only utilized on Russell’s car, although it was a significant improvement.
After Hamilton was outqualified by Russell at the street venue, the 39-year-old driver, who is leaving the Silver Arrows at the end of the year to join Ferrari, stated that he does not anticipate beating his fellow Briton over one lap for the duration of the season. Russell did this after Hamilton was outqualified by Russell.
However, in response to Hamilton’s cryptic comment, the principal of the Mercedes team, Wolff, had the following response: “Aren’t all drivers a little bit skeptical at times?
“Even in the most heated competitions between teammates, we have always shown that we are always attempting to strike a balance between doing what is right and being transparent and fair. This is something that we have always proved as a team.
As a driver, I can appreciate that you want the best for both yourself and the team, but when things aren’t going your way, you could find yourself questioning whether or not you really want that.
However, as a group, we are fully committed to the objective of providing both drivers with the most advanced vehicles and methods that are available.
To get the most out of our partnership with Hamilton, we are working hard to maximize its potential. In what will be our last season together, we are working hard to achieve the best possible outcomes. At times, the environment between drivers and teams can be stressful due to the fact that everyone is striving to perform to the best of their abilities.
Hamilton is now in seventh place in the drivers’ standings, one spot and twelve points behind Russell, who is in seventh place. Mercedes is in a distant fourth place in the constructors’ championship.
In contrast, McLaren and Ferrari are currently in the lead in the competition against Max Verstappen of Red Bull. Lando Norris won his first race in Miami earlier this month, and Charles Leclerc won his first race on home soil in Monaco on Sunday.
After a poor performance over the course of the weekend for Red Bull, Verstappen started and finished up in sixth place.
In preparation for the next round, which will take place in Canada on June 9, Leclerc has brought Verstappen’s championship advantage down to 31 points, while Norris finds himself 56 points behind the Dutchman.
“Red Bull are not suddenly struggling,” Norris, who placed fourth in the principality, said. “Red Bull are not struggling altogether.”
They did not have the best weekend, but both we and Ferrari have brought upgrades, and they are not as quick as they used to be. That being said, it is usually close here, and they did not have the best weekend.
It is very impressive to see a podium that does not contain a Red Bull driver. And despite the fact that it is a terrible thing to say, the fact that the opportunities are available is, in addition, wonderful for people watching and for other drivers.
“Charles acquired a significant number of points on Max. I was able to get some points on Max, so slowly but surely, we might be able to get closer.If we are able to maintain this level of performance, there is a possibility that we will be able to catch them in the future.