Unusual Ferrari Power Advantage Concern Raised by Mercedes F1 Yet Again

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes that Ferrari’s massive engine advantage this season is “unusual”. However, he did not cross the Rubicon and outright accuse Ferrari of pushing the boundaries of legality with its power unit.

However, he told L’Equipe that the power output advantage of the Maranello outfit is “an aberration”.

“With stable regulations, it is unusual to see such discrepancies,” added the Austrian. In a way, he was glad about the Ferrari team’s warring drivers, as it allowed Mercedes to sneak through to win in Sochi

According to him, since Formula 1 has become an “engine discipline”, Ferrari have a major trump card over its rivals.

“Ferrari crushes everyone in a straight line right now,” Wolff told Motorsport.com. “It’s very difficult to make up that deficit on the rest of the circuit. It’s a situation we need to overcome.”

“We must look at every aspect of the engine. Are there innovations we have missed? I think this is undoubtedly the case.”

He noted that there was a gap that is ‘impossible to catch’, so Mercedes’ focus will likely be on the chassis. Another key aspect would be to crack the tyre code and choose the right race strategy.

“But clearly, given the performance of their engine, we do not expect to dominate the next races,” Wolff concluded.

For now, Mercedes will be looking ahead to next week’s Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. While Lewis Hamilton already looks to have wrapped up the title, Mercedes will want to go out on a high and stop Ferrari.

On the other hand, they also need to keep a wary eye on Red Bull just in case they try something unexpected. Aside from those, both the Driver’s and Constructor’s championships should be wrapped up. Whatever the case, the battle will be interesting in the coming races.