Toto Wolff has conceded that Mercedes “need to respond” following the progress made by their competitors last time out in Miami, with the Team Principal confirming that the squad will bring their first upgrade package of the season to this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
After seemingly holding a significant pace advantage across the opening three rounds of the campaign, the Silver Arrows’ margin over their rivals appeared much slimmer at the Miami International Autodrome after McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari all delivered updates to their cars.
While the team still head both championships – with Kimi Antonelli’s victory on Sunday seeing him extend his lead at the top of the Drivers’ standings over team mate George Russell to 20 points – Wolff feels it is crucial for Mercedes to answer back as they prepare to bring upgrades of their own to Montreal, an event that will also feature another Sprint.
“We head to Canada ready to get back into a regular rhythm of racing,” Wolff said as he previewed Round 5 on the calendar.
“Our competitors took a step forward in Miami and we need to respond; seven Grands Prix in 10 weekends before shutdown is an opportunity to do that and build momentum.
“We bring our first update package of the year to Montreal, but we know that performance is only performance once it is delivered on track.”
While keen for the Brackley-based outfit to perform well at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Wolff also acknowledged that the Silver Arrows need to “keep learning” as the championship progresses.
“Despite being in the middle of May, we are just four races into the season,” he continued. “There is a long year ahead and, whilst this is an important weekend, it will not decide any outcomes.
“We will stay balanced, keep learning, and execute each weekend as well as we can. We won’t get too high when we succeed or too low in the difficult moments; that is as true for our drivers as it is for the rest of the team.”