Toto Wolff: "Ferrari is 16 weeks ahead"

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes that Ferrari's early development on their 2017 car has allowed them to close the gap to Mercedes. Ferrari has struggled to produce a race winning car in recent years, but in 2017 has emerged with a car that is looking to claim both driver and constructor championships.

Wolff thinks that their early development aided them massively: "To our knowledge, Ferrari started development of its car very early -- in December 2015. For us it was only March 2016," Wolff told Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. "By then, Ferrari already had more than 50 percent of its resources on the new car. Ferrari has perhaps a 16-week lead, and in that time you can find downforce worth four or five tenths," said Wolff.

The team is denying it, but there are suspicions Kimi Raikkonen was deliberately disadvantaged by Ferrari so that Vettel could win last Sunday at Monaco: "Of course you have to ask that question, even if there was no need for them to do so," former F1 driver Alex Wurz told the Austrian broadcaster ORF. "But obviously the world championship is in the foreground."

 

Fergal Walsh

Replies (2)

Login to reply
  • ianf1

    Posts: 185

    Boo hoo. Just like the early engine development by Mercedes at the start of the hybrid era allowed them to get the jump on their rivals...

    • + 0
    • May 31 2017 - 13:43
  • Yet its so even between them.

    • + 0
    • May 31 2017 - 15:36

AZ Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

AZAzerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

Test calendar

See full test schedule

World Championship standings 2026

Show full world champion standings

Related news

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2026

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
6 - Mar 8
Australia
13 - Mar 15
China
27 - Mar 29
Japan
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
1 - May 3
United States of America
22 - May 24
Canada
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
12 - Jun 14
Spain
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2026

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
10 - Apr 12
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
5 - Jun 7
Monaco Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
See full schedule

Driver profile

  • Team Aston Martin
  • Points 1,480
  • Podiums 56
  • Grand Prix 161
  • Country DE
  • Date of b. Jul 3 1987 (38)
  • Place of b. Heppenheim, DE
  • Weight 62 kg
  • Length 1.75 m
Show full profile

Team profile

Show full profile
show sidebar