'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has claimed that the team had the second-fastest car on the grid at the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP.
Lewis Hamilton secured the Silver Arrows' first pole position since George Russell did it at the same venue last season, but the race did not pan out as favorably.
Hamilton messed up at the start of the race and found himself losing three positions to Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, and Lando Norris. The Mercedes driver was P4 by the end of the first lap and stayed there until the end of the race.
Trending
Russell too had an impressive race as he made his way through the field and finished P6.
Speaking with Sky Sports after the race, Toto Wolff claimed that Mercedes were the second-fastest car in Hungary. Looking back at the race, he said:
"I think we had the second-quickest car today. If you look at the lap time profile, also where George came from, but we just didn’t monetize on it. But having said that, you see where Verstappen is doing his laps, tranquil, and that needs to be the target – and that’s far off at the moment."
He added:
"The start certainly played a role, but that can happen. It was maybe also we brought the tyres in very carefully, maybe too careful, and you can see the lap time difference towards the end. I think we reeled in maybe 15 seconds – something around that. We were missing at the end 1.9s to Perez and just four seconds to Lando, or less, and I think we had that."
George Russell echoes the views of his Mercedes boss
George Russell echoed what Toto Wolff said and admitted that the car was very competitive around the track. The Mercedes driver started the race in P18 and made his way up to P6 with a very impressive drive. He told Sky Sports:
"The car was really quick. This place is one of my favourite circuits, one of my best circuits, and as a team we generally go really well around here. It's no surprise how quick we are today. It's disappointing because I believe we could have been right up there with Lewis yesterday."
Despite starting the race in pole position and having the second fastest car on the grid, Mercedes could not salvage even a single podium in Hungary and that will be a little disappointing for the team.
