Toto Wolff claims it’s ‘clear’ how Mercedes can close gap to McLaren

George Russell was third and Kimi Antonelli fourth on his debut in Melbourne but Wolff said it was obvious to Mercedes where they can improve

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes it’s “clear” where they can improve this season and close the gap to early pace-setters McLaren.

Wolff conceded their opening performance at the Australian Grand Prix was “not enough” but says the team have taken a step forward from last season.

George Russell was third and Kimi Antonelli fourth on his debut in Melbourne and Wolff said it was obvious to Mercedes that the performance of their W16 is more “predictable” this season.

“We have the car's balance now, which the previous one didn't have,” Wolff said. “And from there on, it's pretty clear what we have to do to extract more performance.

“On a single lap, we look solid, and I think that the gap is much closer, and on the long runs or race performances too. We just need to understand that.”

Russell was third for Mercedes a day after insisting McLaren’s superior pace meant they could already start shifting focus to next year, when new engine and chassis regulations come into force.

"They're [McLaren] at such an advantage because they can stop development now and go fully on ‘26 as it's difficult to overcome that gap," Russell said.

Those comments were dismissed by race winner Lando Norris as he urged McLaren to keep working on their pace and strengthen their title chances.