Mercedes is finding out the hard side of life in F1 after being on top of it for eight long consecutive years. Now during this Red Bull domination, nothing feels like a win until it actually is a win. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff showcased that with his recent statements despite a major jump in performance for his team. His outlook toward the sport, we suspect, is sullied because of one man, Max Verstappen.

Verstappen redeemed his qualifying misstep with a faultless sprint shootout and race performance. However, the most positive sign during the Sprint shootout was the fact the W14 was in touching distance of the RB19. Regardless of this, the Mercedes boss had a long face when he spoke about the positives from the weekend.

Toto Wolff gives a lukewarm update on his team’s achievements thanks to the domination of Max Verstappen

We know one can’t make a positive weekend sound disappointing but Wolff made it possible. The team introduced a new floor in Austin which put them right in the mix with the front runners. However, despite that, the Austrian billionaire isn’t a happy man and his post-sprint comments showcase that. In a post-shootout interview, Wolff said, “[Overnight was] just about understanding tires a little bit more.”

“I’m in two minds because we had such a massive gap on this kind of tracks to our competitors before. Last year in Austin, I think, it was six tenths now we’re right in the mix so that’s a good step but when you’re that close to pole position as a racer it’s a little bit of a disappointment,” he added.

The Mercedes boss might be missing the highs of winning back-to-back championships as the incessant Red Bull and Verstappen dominance continues. However, even if he isn’t feeling it, there is surely some excitement in the Mercedes garage.

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Lewis Hamilton expresses his excitement after the US GP upgrades give him a boost

Lewis Hamilton might’ve not capitalized on Verstappen’s rare misstep during the US GP’s qualifying session. However, the Brit is surely feeling the rush of driving a car capable enough of winning races. Hamilton has already secured a P2 in the Sprint race over the weekend; and the new floor has given him and his fanbase, hopes for much bigger goals in the coming season.

“I don’t know really if it’s a signifier of anything for next year but, as we continue to experiment, we get more and more knowledge of where we’re going, and where we are routing the flow of the car,” he said.

“But this is an improvement. This is one of the first upgrades that I’ve actually felt over the last two years. So that’s a positive, and we just need two or three times of this step to put us in super competitive mode, which I believe the guys can do,” the 38-year-old added.

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The Brit seems excited to see where this new floor and the developmental path take the team. It will be interesting to see how the W14 develops over the coming race weekends.