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Mercedes are predicting it will be difficult to repeat their breakthrough victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix in this weekend’s season finale.
The team locks the front row of the Grand Prix grid at Interlagos And get one-half of the score in the competition, by george russell.
However, the first-time race winner suspects the team will not be competitive on track Yas Marina Just like they did at Interlagos.
“Going into Abu Dhabi, I think we might be similar to Ferrari, my gut tells me. I think maybe a small step behind Red Bull.”
Mercedes had also been strong at the previous Mexican Grand Prix, but their performance in the race was marred by opting for a harder compound tire than rival Red Bull.
“I think the last two races the track has been pretty slow, and that’s where we’ve been really good this season,” Russell said. “But the progress we’ve made as a team has been unbelievable.
“Since Austin, we’ve played as a team to win, or have the potential to win, every single game. So it gives us all the motivation and the confidence to everybody going back to the factory, the factory Will be pumping all winter.
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“We will give everything we need in the first test with a car that can compete in the first race.”
Team principal Toto Wolff is also skeptical that the Yas Marina circuit is suitable for the Mercedes W13. “I think Abu Dhabi on paper is much more difficult for us because we are still too late,” he said. “But we know why.”
“I think we know why we’re doing better [here],’ he added. “Do we know why we were so far ahead of everyone this weekend? we do not have.
lewis hamiltonwho finished second after losing time in a collision with Max Verstappen, said the team’s progress in recent races was “a very, very good sign”.
“For a long, long time, we couldn’t really, really understand what the problem was or how to fix it,” he admits.
“It’s difficult because we keep trying, trying, trying, and every time something new comes up, we still have the same problems that we have.
“So it’s really, really big. We know where our North Star is and we know where we need to put all our hard work this winter. I’m so proud of all the incredible hard work the team has put in.”
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2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
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