Wolff: I am confident we can win again in Monza

Toto Wolff makes no secret of his dissatisfaction with the team’s results in the previous stage, but is confident that Mercedes can make up for this in Monza. In addition, Kimi Antonelli has her first training in Formula 1 behind the wheel of George Russell’s car on Friday and this will also be an interesting experience for everyone.

Toto WolffMercedes team principal: “The results of the weekend in Zandvoort have upset us. We performed worse than expected. Lewis drove the race confidently and could earn points, but not many, as he started from a distant position at the end of qualifying.

George had problems due to tyre degradation, which meant he didn’t have the pace to fight for top six positions. The team is already analysing all the information gathered and trying to understand why this happened.

Although the break between races is short, we have the opportunity to make up for this already at Monza. I am confident that we can do this. The Italian circuit is very different to Zandvoort and the speeds will probably only increase this year as a result of the changes that have taken place there. In addition, we still have to understand what effect the new asphalt surface will have.

Monza is always a very interesting test for teams and drivers, and we are already looking forward to it. Thanks to the passionate Italian fans, the atmosphere there is always special. This will be even more noticeable when Kimi Antonelli drives George’s car during the first practice on Friday.

Kimi has been part of our youth programme since he was 12 and this is an exciting moment for him and the whole team. I am sure he will enjoy racing on his home circuit in front of grandstands full of Italian fans, but they will also be happy to see a young and talented compatriot on the track.

We look forward to Kimi taking his place in the W15 on Friday morning and contributing to the team on the first day of the Monza weekend.”