Wolff is "pleased with the step we have made with the car" at the Hungaroring
Despite a tough qualifying result for their rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff was delighted with the step the Brackley-based outfit made after reverting to a previous-specification rear suspension for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
There were mixed fortunes at Mercedes in Budapest, with George Russell impressing with an unexpected fourth place after struggling across the practice sessions.
His team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli had looked the faster of the two in the third and final practice, but he lost his pace in the constantly-changing conditions in qualifying.
His first lap in Q2 on a set of used Pirellis was not enough and he had to go again The Italian lost his second lap time to track limits, although it still would not have been enough to make Q3.
The qualifying results left Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff with mixed feelings, but he stressed that it was important to confirm the progress the Brackley-based outfit achieved by reverting to an older-specification rear suspension.
"We are both pleased and frustrated after Saturday in Budapest. Pleased with the step we have made with the car here this weekend but frustrated knowing that P4 and P15 doesn’t accurately reflect the pace we’ve shown.
"George looked like he was going to take pole position on his last lap in Q3. Unfortunately, a small snap of oversteer cost him some time and that left him P4, despite only being 0.05s slower than the Ferrari of Leclerc. Starting from the second row gives us a good opportunity to fight for the podium tomorrow though.
Wolff continued: "For Kimi, it was a more difficult session. He has rebuilt his confidence with the car in practice and continued that into Qualifying. Unfortunately, he fell just the wrong side of a tight bunch in Q2 and that stopped him from fighting nearer the front like George.
"Whilst he is understandably disappointed, the step forward he has taken here in Hungary is pleasing. We will look to help him battle through the field tomorrow and get into the points."
