Wolff happy to see Lewis, Nico push ‘beyond limit’

Toto Wolff says he does not have any issues with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg pushing “beyond the limit”, as the Mercedes motorsport boss interprets it as evidence that his drivers are not becoming complacent with success.

After being challenged by Ferrari in Canada, the reigning Constructors’ champions reigned supreme in Baku where Rosberg cruised to victory from pole position.

Mercedes’ Azerbaijani weekend was not perfect though, as team-mate Hamilton endured a scruffy qualifying before engine settings problems left him fuming during the race.

“We didn't maximise our potential in Baku,” Wolff said. “At some circuits, you seem to find the sweet spot straight from the beginning - and that track suited our car in terms of demands on the Power Unit and aerodynamic efficiency. So, we left a little disappointed. But overall there were a lot of positives.”

Rosberg and Hamilton have already had several close encounters this year, as the pair took each other out on the opening lap in Spain and made contact at the start in Canada.

However, the Briton recently described his relationship with his title foe, whom he trailed by 24 points, as “surprisingly good”. Wolff explains why he welcomes their intra-team rivalry and relentless pursuit of performance.

“Our package is clearly as competitive as ever and we have seen that both drivers are pushing right to the limit - sometimes even beyond it. This is what we want to see from them.

“It would be easy to get complacent or ease off the pedal after our recent success. But they are pushing themselves, each other and the team forward at every step. We accept that sometimes this will result in tough weekends - but it's good for all of us and good for the sport.”

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