What are Mercedes thinking? Martin Brundle’s verdict as customer team McLaren upstage engine supplier
George Russell congratulates Lando Norris on his Miami GP win
Martin Brundle says Mercedes have bigger worries than customer team McLaren winning in Miami, because they “just don’t understand” their W15.
Lando Norris became the first Mercedes-powered driver since 2022 to win a Grand Prix when he beat Max Verstappen to the chequered flag in Miami on Sunday.
Mercedes won’t be too fazed by McLaren’s Miami win
Racing McLaren’s upgraded MCL38, the Briton took the chequered flag seven seconds ahead of the Red Bull on a day when Mercedes’ best-placed driver, Lewis Hamilton, was only P6.
The result meant McLaren put further ground between themselves and their engine supplier in the Constructors’ Championship with the Woking team up to 125 points, almost double Mercedes’ 64.
However, Brundle doesn’t believe Mercedes will be too fazed by McLaren’s win as they have their own issues to contend with at the moment.
“Obviously there’s a customer team that are doing a better job,” the nine-time F1 podium finisher told Sky F1.
“But I think got more to worry about than McLaren at the moment, because they just don’t understand their car.
“Having said that, Lewis Hamilton had a great race. He drove some very brave manoeuvres and overtakes, and his pace was good towards the end.
“But I think that just sums up that car you know, session to session day to day race to race they don’t know what they’re going to get with it.”
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“First of all, I’m really happy for Lando,” he told Sky Deutschland. “That was long overdue.
“We just looked at the results from last year, I think they [McLaren] were 16th and 19th. That’s good for us to see.
“They were so far away and now they are winning races. And with Mercedes power, that’s good motivation for us.”
As for Mercedes’ Sunday at the Miami International circuit, Wolff called it a “strong” race “even if the result was not satisfactory.”
Hamilton finished sixth with George Russell P8.
The latter rued a “pretty rubbish race from start to finish” as he struggled on the hard Pirellis.
“Made a good start but when Checo sent it down the inside everybody had to checked up and it cost me three positions.
“I had no pace from there on in, so I need to check the car as something didn’t feel right.”