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Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff explained that their cars are fast this season, but only on a single-lap pace. Meanwhile, he mentioned that McLarens have done an excellent job with their tire conservation, enabling them to set competitive laptimes over extended periods.
The 2025 F1 Miami Grand Prix ended with just a podium for the Brackley-based outfit despite their promising pace earlier. The team looked rather competitive initially, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli clinching pole position in the Sprint race, however, it was the McLarens who took home a 1 - 2 finish in both the Sprint and the main race.
"I think the high point definitely was seeing his [Antonelli's] speed on a single lap, great," Toto Wolff said (via F1). "You know that's another proof of his talent and a good indication to how the future can be."
Team principal Toto Wolff explained that their car is rather competitive under a short stint or a single-lap reference, however, the McLarens have achieved an exemplary target with the tire conservation on their car.
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"It is simply that we have a really fast car, I believe on a single lap or on a few laps, [it is] absolutely where it can be, but we're just not good with the tyres over an extended run and McLaren shows how it's being done to a degree... I would say we are solid in what we're doing but [McLaren] are definitely doing an excellent job, by being able to go fast around the corners without overheating them," he further added.
George Russell clinched P3, and Kimi Antonelli followed him in P6, earning crucial points to keep Mercedes in contention for the Constructors' World Championship.
Toto Wolff expects Mercedes to challenge McLaren later in the season
McLaren has dominated the grid since the start of the season. Lando Norris clinched the Sprint victory in Miami and was the fastest driver on the track. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, took home his third consecutive win of the season during the main race, marking his fourth triumph this year.
As they continue to extend their lead in the championship, Mercedes' Toto Wolff expects to challenge them in the near future.
"We just need to be better. We just need to understand, we need to find out where do we need to focus our attention in terms of development, what are the main performance contributors and we are on it, completely on it," he said.
"We are trying to find out, we are experimenting and we are going to definitely be able to challenge [McLaren]," he added.
McLaren currently leads the Constructors' World Championship standings with 246 points in their bag, meanwhile, Mercedes follows them with 141 points. Both teams are strong contenders for the championship, as the German outfit has also delivered rather consistent results throughout.
