Wolff: Still too early to 'make any assumptions'

40

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is exerting caution ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Austrian expecting a "challenging fight" from the Black Arrows' rivals in Budapest.

The German outfit left Austria with two wins in its bag at the Red Bull Ring shared among its drivers.

While Valtteri Bottas' victorious opening salvo was anything but a smooth Sunday driver, Lewis Hamilton's first win of 2020 was a proper master class demonstration.

Vettel won't 'run away' from Ferrari disaster

Mercedes' winning streak in Austria contrasted with its troubled races at Spielberg in the past two seasons.

"Spielberg didn't always yield the best results for us in recent years, so it feels good to head to Hungary with two victories and a lot of points," Wolff said in the team's Hungarian Grand Prix preview.

"We put a lot of effort into finding reliability solutions between the races and it was an impressive team effort to deliver them in time.

"That was echoed by the strong work from the team at the track, all of which ultimately rewarded us with a 1-2 on Sunday."

However, past performance - even recent - is no indication of future results, as everyone knows, including Wolff who is taking his typical cautionary approach to next weekend's round, citing an imminent threat from rival Red Bull.

"Two wins from two races might sound like the performance picture is clear, but that's far from the truth," Wolff said.

"We've only raced on a single track so far and it is way too early to make any assumptions. The next race in Hungary will be a different scenario and we're expecting a challenging fight.

"The Hungaroring has always suited Red Bull and they've shown their strength in the slow corners again this year, so they will be very hard to beat.

"Given the calendar changes this year, the Hungaroring is set to be the highest-downforce track in 2020, so it will be interesting to see whose aero package delivers the most at this track.

"The first two races this year have been highly entertaining and I'm looking forward to another exciting race weekend to conclude the first triple-header of the year."

Wolff's cautious stance notwithstanding, it's worth remembering that the Hungaroring is very much Hamilton's turf, the six-time world champion winning seven times there and gunning to equal Michael Schumacher's record of eight victories achieved at the same venue.

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.