Mercedes boss Toto Wolff considers Bahrain another example of how reliability is just as important as speed when deciding the Formula 1 championship.
His two drivers appeared set for second and third on Sunday until an engine problem for Charles Leclerc gifted the Silver Arrows their second one-two of the season with Lewis Hamilton leading the way.
While joining everyone in commiserating the Monegasque on his poor luck, Wolff admits the events in the desert vindicate his team’s commitment to consistency.
“This is a long championship and always you have to balance performance and reliability, and there is the fortune factor and Charles was very unfortunate today,” he told Sky Sports.
“He was the quickest, or the quickest guy and they should have won the race, but then things went in the other direction.
“I think this is our strength, and it’s also not about one single lap performance or the speed, it’s about holding it together, even cruising home with a third and fourth,” the Austrian added.
“It might make a difference, it might win you the championship.”
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Wolff was also asked if he thought there was any link between Leclerc’s problem and the reported cooling issues which Ferrari has continually denied.
“I’m not sure it’s cooling because they would have warned him here,” the Mercedes boss admitted.
“There is an eight, nine, second gap and Lewis was starting to catch up a little bit, but they would have managed it, I think it’s something that they didn’t see coming, but I don’t know.”
