Toto Wolff “a bit worried” as key Mercedes advantage disappears in F1 testing

Toto Wolff is unsure whether Mercedes have “remedied” how their car performs in a variety of different climatic conditions after an unusually cool Bahrain F1 test.

The weather in Bahrain has been considerably colder than usual, leading to unrepresentative conditions.

Unlike in recent years, Bahrain won’t host the first race, with Australia kicking off the new season on March 16.

A common trend for Mercedes throughout last year was showing race-winning pace when it was cooler and being less competitive in hotter conditions.

Given the cooler weather in Bahrain, Wolff quipped that Mercedes should be “two seconds quicker than everyone else”.

Wolff believes it’s unclear whether Mercedes have simply lost their unique advantage or whether its car is now “more balanced” across various temperatures.

Speaking in the FIA team principal press conference on day two in Bahrain, Wolff said: “Well I am a bit worried at the moment because that should be conditions where we’re two seconds quicker than everyone else which was the only highlight last year in terms of performance in Las Vegas and we’re not.

“Either way we’ve remedied the problem and we are more balanced through all the climatic conditions, or not. We had a laugh about whether we’ve lost some of that USP.”

Wolff confident Mercedes have made “step”

Inconsistency has plagued Mercedes since the introduction of the ground effect rules in 2022.

Mercedes could show outstanding pace throughout practice before falling away during the remainder of the weekend.

Wolff is confident that Mercedes have made a “tiny step” in making the car more predictable - even if the conditions in Bahrain aren’t representative.

“I think sometimes you take junctions which go in the wrong direction,” Wolff added.

“Maybe yesterday we tried something in the afternoon which didn’t function. It’s about having a car that gives more confidence and that was the thing we were missing last year.

“It was unpredictable and that seems a tiny step ahead. Like all of you said, we have no idea about fuel loads. Yesterday [on day one], Norris was on a different planet. Very, very good.

“Lewis, this morning [on day two]. Sainz on the C2 tyre was very impressive so you really have no idea. The conditions are totally not representative.”