Wolff wants ‘clean, reliable’ weekend in Hungary, maximum points

Mercedes heads into the Hungarian Grand Prix with one clear mission: stop leaving points on the table.

Despite leading the constructors’ championship and showing competitive pace throughout the season, the Brackley squad has repeatedly failed to translate performance into results.

After another weekend of contrasting fortunes in Belgium, team principal Toto Wolff is urging his crew to eliminate costly mistakes and deliver the kind of execution needed to fully capitalize on the W17’s capabilities.

The latest setback came at Spa-Francorchamps, where Kimi Antonelli converted a strong weekend into his sixth victory of the season, extending his championship advantage over teammate George Russell to 50 points.

But while Antonelli celebrated from the top step of the podium, Russell’s race ended on the opening lap after contact with Lewis Hamilton — another missed opportunity for Mercedes to maximize its points haul.

Searching for consistency after missed opportunities

For Wolff, the underlying issue is not a lack of speed. The Austrian believes Mercedes has repeatedly demonstrated the competitiveness of its package, only to undermine its own efforts through operational errors and technical difficulties.

“We have shown at every race so far that the performance is there. We have not converted enough of that potential into results though,” Wolff said in the team’s Hungarian Grand Prix preview.

“We have lost points through self-inflicted issues, and we know we need to improve. The team is working flat out to understand the problems, fix them, and ensure we are giving both drivers the tools they need to maximise every weekend.”

Antonelli arrives in Budapest carrying the confidence of a driver who has been increasingly comfortable at the front. At Spa, the Italian recovered from losing the lead during the pit-stop sequence, hunted down Charles Leclerc and produced a decisive pass on the Ferrari driver to secure victory.

Russell, meanwhile, will be looking to reset after a difficult Belgian weekend. The Briton was more than half a second away from Antonelli in qualifying before his race ended prematurely, making Hungary an important opportunity to respond before Formula 1 enters its summer break.

A different test for Mercedes

Hungary presents a different challenge from recent venues such as Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. The twisty Hungaroring places greater emphasis on balance, mechanical grip and traction, with tyre management expected to play a key role.

“Hungary presents a different challenge to the circuits we have raced at recently,” Wolff explained.

• Read also: Mercedes digging in but still puzzled by Russell’s deployment issues

“Silverstone and Spa are more energy-limited tracks; Budapest is much more energy-rich, which changes some of the demands on the car and the way you approach the weekend. As always, the field is competitive, and small details will make the difference.”

With the season reaching its halfway point, Wolff wants Mercedes to avoid another missed opportunity and maximize the potential of both cars.

“Our objective is straightforward: execute a clean, reliable weekend, and score the points that the car is capable of achieving before we head into the summer break.”

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