Mercedes warn F1 rivals Qatar will be “more favourable” than Las Vegas

Toto Wolff believes this weekend’s Losail International Circuit in Qatar will be “more favourable” for Mercedes in suiting their 2024 F1 car.

Mercedes clinched a 1-2 last time out at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, with George Russell winning the race from pole position.

Mercedes’ pace advantage over the rest of the field was highlighted by Lewis Hamilton’s recovery from 10th on the grid to finish second.

The W15 has often performed best in cooler conditions, scoring big results in Canada and Britain.

With Qatar another night race, it could play into Mercedes’ hands, although, the high-speed nature of it should mean tyre warm-up isn’t a problem for any of the teams.

Previewing the weekend ahead, Wolff said: “The races in Las Vegas and Qatar couldn't be more different. The Losail International Circuit has many high-speed sections and few, if any, big braking zones. Despite going there later in the calendar than last year, it will still be very warm.

“That is in contrast to the cool conditions and many slow speed sections of Las Vegas. Nevertheless, we are aiming for another strong showing this weekend. The W15 has looked more at home at circuits with lots of high-speed corners, such as Silverstone or Spa.

“We certainly benefited from the night-time cold in Las Vegas, but the layout in Qatar should be more favourable to the strengths of our car. We know our competitors will be stronger than they were last weekend, but we will be aiming to get the car in a good window once again and be in the fight at the front.”

Mercedes’ result in Sin City was their first 1-2 finish since the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

It cements their position in P4 in the constructors’ championship - which is set to be their worst finish since 2012 when they finished fifth.

“We're looking forward to the penultimate race of the season in Qatar after our 1-2 finish in Las Vegas,” Wolff added. “The team did a great job across the three days in the United States. We were quick throughout and executed well on Saturday night.

“George controlled the race from pole position, drove superbly and had pace in hand to spare. Lewis meanwhile put in a stellar comeback from P10, cutting his way through the field to P2 to secure the top two steps of the podium for the team.

“A highlight result is exactly what we wanted at the end of the season, and it is well-deserved given the hard work and determination everyone has shown in the second half of the year.”