Breaking news
Formula 1 Mexican GP
Mercedes: "F3" performance not related to wheel rims
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insists that his team's decision to race without its cooling rear wheel rim spacer did not contribute to its W09 behaving like an "F3" car in the Mexican Grand Prix.
Jonathan Noble
Edited: Oct 29, 2018, 4:50 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas struggled with their tyres at the Mexico City race on Sunday, which left them unable to challenge the Red Bull and Ferrari cars ahead.
With those difficulties coming just a week after similar troubles in Austin, when Mercedes did not race its spacer either, it prompted suggestions that the team may have suffered without the extra help from its controversial concept.
But Wolff is adamant that the wheel rim issue is a red herring – because Mercedes' biggest headache in Mexico was not at the back of the car.
"The biggest problem today was the front left," he said when asked whether the team had been made vulnerable without the wheel rims.
"It was nothing to do with it."
Mercedes has elected to race without its wheel rim spacer design, which features small holes to help cooling, for the past two races to avoid any potential risk of a protest from Ferrari.
Ahead of the Mexican GP, Mercedes asked for a ruling from the stewards to get a definitive answer on the rims' legality, and it was told that the FIA was totally happy.
However, to be totally safe and avoid any chance of a rival outfit lodging a post-race complaint, Mercedes steered clearing of running them again.
The FIA is now likely to issue a technical directive ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix to help clear up the matter.
Wolff said the Mexican performance was not out of the ordinary for a campaign where the team had sometimes struggles, but had been often helped by Hamilton's driving brilliance.
"I think he has been the differentiator," added Wolff. "Our car was the fastest at times, then not the fastest at other times. Sometimes it was an F3 car, like today [in Mexico].
"I don't think we had one single lap where we actually switched the tyre on. I don't think our car drove the tyre. And I have no explanation. We will be asking for explanation because these swings are just difficult."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Horner credits Renault engine for Mexican GP win
Next article Verstappen admits he was overdriving early in 2018
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jonathan Noble
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
Formula 1
Formula 1
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Formula 1
Formula 1
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
More from
Mercedes
The figures that show Mercedes has lost its supremacy in F1 2026
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
The figures that show Mercedes has lost its supremacy in F1 2026
Mercedes: “We had people who hadn’t done a live pitstop for 15 years” in Singapore GP
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Mercedes: “We had people who hadn’t done a live pitstop for 15 years” in Singapore GP
Latest news
Tim Clark wants NASCAR to be better storytellers to counter "brand perception problem"
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup 14 min
Tim Clark wants NASCAR to be better storytellers to counter "brand perception problem"
Why NASCAR's Zane Smith fine for Carson Hocevar contact was consistent
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
40 min
Why NASCAR's Zane Smith fine for Carson Hocevar contact was consistent
Jimmie Johnson on the NASCAR business world: "It's a war"
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup 51 min
Jimmie Johnson on the NASCAR business world: "It's a war"
David Alonso lashes out at Dani Holgado: "When you’re not a good person, there’s nothing you can do"
Moto2
MOT2 Moto2
Phillip Island
51 min
David Alonso lashes out at Dani Holgado: "When you’re not a good person, there’s nothing you can do"
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe