Toto Wolff says Mercedes are working ‘flat out to close gap’ to F1 rivals Red Bull and Ferrari

Mercedes have four third-placed finishes this season, while their rivals have won every race between them

Toto Wolff has said Mercedes are working ‘flat out to close the gap’ to Formula 1 rivals Red Bull and Ferrari ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.

Mercedes have managed four third-placed finishes this season – one for Lewis Hamilton and three for George Russell – while their rivals have won every race between them.

Ferrari have earned two victories through Charles Leclerc, while defending champion Max Verstappen has claimed five wins for Red Bull and his teammate Sergio Perez has won once.

All three teams have had their share of issues with their cars, but Mercedes have been battling the greatest problems, particularly ‘porpoising’ – when a vehicle bounces up and down.

“Baku was a tricky weekend for us, particularly with the bouncing issues,” Wolff said per the Express, “but we really maximised the opportunities that came our way and left Azerbaijan with a solid collection of points.

“We benefited from the misfortune of others, but reliability is an important factor in F1 and there’s no shortage of hard work at Brackley and Brixworth behind getting both cars to the finish line.”

Russell finished third for Mercedes at the Azerbaijan GP last weekend, while seven-time champion Hamilton came fourth. Leclerc and Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz both failed to finish, as Verstappen and Perez made it a Red Bull one-two.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (left) and George Russell (Getty Images)

“We once again found ourselves clear of the midfield in terms of pace, but a chunk behind the top two teams,” Wolff continued.

“We’re working flat out to close that gap, but with an underperforming package I loved seeing the fight in the team to pull together and get us the best result possible with the tools at hand.

“That spirit will bring us back competing at the front.”

Next up is the Canadian GP on Sunday 19 June. Hamilton’s participation at the race was up in the air as the Briton complained of pain caused by porpoising, but the seven-time champion has since confirmed that he will compete in Montreal.