SM
Watford vs. Oxford Utd: 1 hr 49 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Toto Wolff admits he did not expect Mercedes win in Bahrain

:Headline: Toto Wolff admits he did not expect Mercedes win in Bahrain: ID:441076: from db_amp
Lewis Hamilton held off Max Verstappen in the F1 season opener in Bahrain but Toto Wolff says Mercedes need to find more pace.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has warned that Lewis Hamilton's sublime drive to victory in Bahrain should not disguise the fact that Red Bull currently have the fastest car.

Hamilton produced a defensive masterclass to beat Max Verstappen to the chequered flag at the first race of the new season.

But Verstappen headed into Sunday's race off the back of a practice clean sweep and finished almost four tenths faster than Hamilton in qualifying.

He then looked primed to win in the closing stages only to perform an illegal move on Hamilton, conceding the place to his rival, and crossing the line just 0.7 seconds adrift.

"If somebody told me before Sunday that a Mercedes win was going to be the result I would not have believed them," said Wolff.

"We recovered well from the pre-season test but, if we are 100 per cent honest with ourselves, we are lacking quite a bit of pace in qualifying.

"In the past, Bahrain has not been a strong race for Red Bull and they have not been particularly good out of the blocks either, but this weekend shows that in 2021, that is no longer the case.

"I have no doubt they are extremely difficult to beat and are leading the pack.

"We have not suddenly found some awesome performance, but the win was a combination of good race strategy, a solid race car and being fortunate at the end. The racing Gods were on our side."

Following a hectic season opener, the sport will breathe for three weeks before the next round in Imola on April 18.

But Hamilton's wheel-to-wheel fight with Verstappen has whet the appetite for a season-long battle between the two brightest stars on the grid.

Asked if the sport is about to usher in one of the great rivalries, Wolff replied: "I hope so, for all the fans and for all of us.

"On Sunday, we saw a tremendous battle between two very good teams and two very good drivers."

Elsewhere, the opening race of Fernando Alonso's F1 comeback was foiled by a sandwich wrapper.

The double world champion, 39, returning after two years away, was forced to park his Alpine in the closing stages following a brake problem.

Alpine executive director Martin Budkowski said: "After Fernando's first pit stop we had a small issue that forced us to reduce the performance of the car.

"Then after the second stop, a sandwich wrap paper got stuck inside the rear brake duct of his car, which led to high temperatures and caused some damage to the brake system, so we retired him for safety reasons."

amp_article__441076 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2021-03-29 13:58:54:
html db last update - 2021-03-29 13:58:54 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Lewis Hamilton

Click here for more stories about Mercedes

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .