Mercedes boss Toto Wolff hailed his team’s spirit as they leave the Australian Grand Prix “in a better state than when we arrived”.
The eight-time defending Constructors’ champions had their best weekend of the season so far, qualifying fifth and sixth before finishing third and fourth on Sunday, with George Russell scoring his first podium for the team.
With only Sergio Perez scoring for Red Bull, Mercedes also ended the weekend second behind Ferrari in the Constructors’ standings, this despite a car that is still some way off in outright pace.
“We are leaving Melbourne in a better state than when we arrived- more lessons learned, more data to analyse and more points on the board,” Wolff said.
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“Clearly we haven’t got the pace yet to challenge Ferrari and Red Bull but we know where we need to seek performance.
“One factor that leaves me very optimistic for the future is the mindset and strength of the team. Everyone in the UK, in Stuttgart and in the travelling race team is pulling together every ounce of effort we have to tackle the performance gaps with determination and deep hunger,” he added.
“Seeing Lewis and George perform at an exceptionally high level today with a tool that is clearly not on the pace of the leaders is another example of the spirit of this team.
“We are optimistic yet realistic on the timeline for improvement and the advantage our competitors have, but P3 and P4 helps us leave Australia with a good feeling.
“Both drivers deserved the podium today, Lewis was unlucky with the timing of the Safety Car but the partnership between the two and how they work with one another epitomises the overall spirit of the team.”
The next race at Imola could see a shift in the pecking order with many teams expected to bring their first big upgrades of the year.
But for now, Mercedes is pleased to be capitalising on the opportunities that present themselves.
“At this stage of the championship, we’re focused on just two things, damage limitation and learning,” trackside engineering chief Andrew Shovlin said.
“In both regards, this has been a successful weekend but we know we have a lot to do, Charles [Leclerc] was in another world today so it’s likely a long road ahead but we’re not short of opportunities to find lap time around the car.”
