Toto Wolff comments on the performance gap between Mercedes and Red Bull at the 2023 F1 Spanish GP

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff recently highlighted the performance gap the German team had to Red Bull in the 2023 F1 Spanish GP. The Austrian claims the Silver Arrows were only two to three-tenths behind the Austrian team in Barcelona, expressing hope for the future.

Mercedes' latest performance upgrades, which included an entirely new sidepod design and a geometrical redesign of its front suspension, were a huge hit in Barcelona. Both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell appeared on the podium, with the latter making his way from P12 on the grid.

However, neither driver was any competition to Max Verstappen, who sailed into the distance from pole position, winning the race by a margin of 23 seconds. Despite the Dutchman's dominant performance in Spain, Wolff claims his team was only two to three-tenths behind the almighty Red Bull in Barcelona.

Wolff said, as reported by the Spanish wing of Motorsport.com:

"The gap with Red Bull I think was two or three-tenths. That's my opinion and that's how we judge the weekend. It's a big step forward. But we have to stay calm because we also did well in Barcelona last year. We know more difficult times are coming but I'm happy with the work the team has done in Brixworth and Brackley."

Lewis Hamilton urges Mercedes to keep chasing Red Bull after excellent result

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton expressed his excitement after clinching second place at the Spanish Grand Prix. He strongly urged Mercedes to persist in their endeavors to improve the performance of the W14.

At the Barcelona race on Sunday (June 4), Hamilton showcased his prowess as the second-quickest driver, trailing behind the triumphant Max Verstappen. This race served as the debut for the drivers to assess the recently introduced upgrades on the W14, which the team had initially debuted in Monaco.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Lewis Hamilton stated that they need to fight Red Bull next season from day one and said:

"I think we are going in the right direction and I know we have something in the pipeline moving forwards. I'm hoping at least by the end of the year it would be great if we could challenge them. For me, I'm more focused on making sure that we have the car next year to challenge them from day one."

With experts claiming Mercedes' performance in Spain might have been an anomaly, it will be interesting to watch the Silver Arrows' progress.