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Wolff: Venting fury over reliability issues would make things worse
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says tearing a strip off his mechanics for the team's ongoing reliability problems will achieve nothing, as he thinks now is the time they need even more support.
Jonathan Noble
Edited: May 29, 2016, 11:33 PM
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The Brackley-based outfit lost its chance of pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix after Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were hit by fuel pressure problems at the start of Q3.
Coming off the back of the MGU-H failures that have hit Hamilton in recent qualifying, the team is aware that its situation could prove extremely costly in the championship if it does not address its issue.
But Wolff thinks there is no reason to panic, as the staff members involved with the outfit are the exact same ones who have helped it deliver back-to-back championship glory.
"This car, the engine, everything you see is a product of humans," said Wolff. "Those humans have made us win god knows how many races and two championships, and these are the best guys. I wouldn't want to work with anybody else.
"We are going through a tough time and I want to continue like we did in the past. We are not blaming any person, but we are trying to identify the root cause of the problem and try to not make the mistake again. That is very important.
"It would be so easy in these circumstances to go in, apply huge pressure, give somebody a bollocking and hope it is going to work out. But that is not how it is working.
"You need to support them and empower them, more in these circumstances than the opposite. I expect the same from Dr. Zetsche as well."
Problems the norm
Hamilton was far from happy about the latest reliability problem to affect his season.
Having suffered qualifying woes with MGU-H problems in China and Russia, the fuel pressure issues in Monaco had delivered another dent to his title hopes.
When asked if he could remember a season hit by such reliability woes, Hamilton said: "I don't. I have had many bad years in racing, and this is another one. It is just becoming the norm now."
Wolff said he was not too put out by Hamilton's comments – and said that the mounting frustrations the reigning world champion was feeling were to be expected.
"Lewis wears his heart on his sleeve and, when he has a bad day you can see that," he explained. "It is fair enough.
"This is his character. With some drivers you see the frustrations and with others you won't. It is clear that we are all sad about the situation and having those gremlins have spoiled our performance."
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