Toto Wolff reveals Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s biggest challenge in 2024

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are eager for Mercedes to make improvements in the upcoming season. Toto Wolff emphasizes the importance of managing expectations to aid Mercedes in narrowing the gap to Red Bull. In the last two seasons, the Silver Arrows have significantly trailed their rivals, with Red Bull dominating the competition.

Mercedes finished a distant 451 points behind Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship standings last season, failing to secure a single Grand Prix victory throughout the year. The team is determined to deliver better performances in the upcoming season but faces the challenging task of catching up to their formidable rivals.

Wolff emphasizes the need for Mercedes to establish the right standards to enhance their chances of closing the gap, mentioning the proactive steps taken behind the scenes by the Silver Arrows. When questioned about the team’s primary challenge in 2024, Wolff stated, “It’s to set the expectations right because we have a huge mountain to climb. There’s a team that is so successful, and we have a big gap to close. At the same time, I believe we’ve taken some proactive steps to close that gap.”

He acknowledges the uncertainty of whether these measures will be sufficient but expresses excitement for the testing and the first race in Bahrain, noting that the stopwatch will determine the effectiveness of their efforts.

The outcome of Mercedes’ performance in 2024 remains uncertain, especially after facing challenges in the previous campaign. Despite finishing the season strongly by securing second place in the Constructors’ Championship standings ahead of Ferrari, Mercedes is determined to exert more pressure on Red Bull in the upcoming season.