General
Mercedes is in good shape, but: 'We didn't see Leclerc and Max'
- GPblog.com
Mercedes has been incredibly shaky in 2022 so far, but in Singapore, there seem to be opportunities for the German racing stable again. Based on the first two free practice sessions, Toto Wolff's team looks set to battle with Red Bull Racing and Ferrari. Wolff himself is optimistic, although he does not want to cheer too soon yet.
Indeed, the Mercedes team boss points out that Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc drove very little in the second free practice because of problems with their cars. "I think Red Bull were in a bit of a mess. I don't know what they have done set-up-wise or something else. I think we can be in the fight. Our long run was very competitive against [Carlos] Sainz's long run, but we haven't seen off Leclerc and Max."
Lots of bumps in Singapore
The track in Singapore is very bumpy and George Russell and Lewis Hamilton experienced that first-hand this Friday. Wolff acknowledges that it is anything but ideal. "Both said the ride is really poor. The car is too stiff. At Turn 7, you can see that our ride is poor until you turn into the corners. We knew this track is going to suit our car more, but we didn't know how much the bumps would affect us."
So far, Mercedes does not seem to be losing a whole lot of performance at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Speaking to Sky Sports, Wolff concludes, "Overall, we are not miles off." Mercedes took one pole position so far in 2022. A win was yet to come.