F1 News

Mercedes "hungry to get to Sochi" to break winless streak

25 September 2019 at 12:38
  • Nicolás Quarles van Ufford

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has stated his team "hungry" to compete in the Russian Grand Prix this weekend, with the Silver Arrows having just won two out of the last seven races while rivals Ferrari have won the last three.

The German works team still holds a major advantage in both championships, with Lewis Hamilton leading the drivers' championship by 96 points compared to the closest non-Mercedes driver and the team leading by a whopping 133 points in the constructors' championship.

However, their recent form is a cause of concern, with Ferrari taking a one-two in Singapore last weekend while the two W10's finishing outside of the podium.

It's an unfamiliar sight in the turbo-hybrid era, Mercedes not winning for almost two months. Wolff knows how well the Sochi Autodrom suits Mercedes historically, as his side look to turn the tide again in the title race.

"Sochi has been a strong circuit for us in recent years but those trends don't mean anything once we are on the ground," the Austrian said when previewing this weekend's action.

"We expect the weekend ahead to be another challenging one for us - and the entire team is ready to tackle that challenge head on. The circuit features a range of corner speeds, an unusually smooth asphalt and long straights, particularly on the run down to Turn 2. We're hungry to get to Sochi and begin fighting out on track."