"You just need to be humble about it" – Mercedes' Toto Wolff says 'team is still the same' despite tough start to 2022 F1 season

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff revealed in a press conference ahead of the Australian Grand Prix that the team is still the same eight-time championship-winning outfit. Amidst their struggles in fighting against 2022's top teams, he claimed that they are not taking their talent for granted.

Emphasizing that the Silver Arrows have seen some dark days but are ready to take these struggles in stride, Wolff said:

“I’ve been in this situation before in life, and you just need to be humble about it. When I said last year with the new regulations, how things were set up, that we could have a different pecking order. And this is exactly what’s happened. Like Fred [Frederic Vasseur, Alfa Romeo team principal] said, the midfield is very, very compressed and we’re just not quick enough, full stop.”

Expressing hope for improvements in the upcoming races, he added, saying:

“There are so many areas where we know we can improve, others where we don’t comprehend the car yet. And we just need to concentrate on ourselves and chip away, the performance. The team is still the same, that won many of the Championships.”

Meanwhile, new Mercedes driver George Russell has expressed his optimism towards an improved season ahead as the cars truly begin their ongoing developments and upgrades. The team currently seems to be fighting at the top of the midfield but would certainly like to see itself contend for its ninth title in 2022.

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Mercedes' team boss claims there will not be a "magic fix" soon

The new 2022 regulations have caused a much-anticipated shake-up in team performances and orders throughout the paddock, and the most shocking change was seen in Mercedes.

As reported by formula1.com, Toto Wolff revealed that the process of bringing the team closer to the top will be a slow one. The Mercedes team principal also said that no major surprises should be expected from them in Melbourne. He said:

“There won’t be a magic fix for the next race weekend. but we’re pushing to steadily bring gains over the upcoming races, to hopefully move us closer to the front of the pack. Until then, we need to maximise each opportunity and make the most of the package we have.”

The Bahrain and the Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were certainly not easy for the team. They now have plenty of investigations to carry out to understand their problems and how to fix them.