JOIN USSilverstone was an encouraging weekend: Toto Wolff
The British Grand Prix two weekends ago was a controversial one in which, at the start, the reigning champion from Mercedes Lewis Hamilton, collided with Max Verstappen and sent him out of the race.
Verstappen was taken to the hospital but luckily there was nothing very serious.
Hamilton eventually won the race and narrowed the championship lead going into this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest.
Said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff: “Everyone has their own opinion on the events of Silverstone, and it was a very polarising incident. However, the most important thing is that Max is okay. It's never nice to see a car crashing, particularly at such high speeds and at a corner like that, so we're glad he emerged from the accident unscathed.
“For us, it was an encouraging weekend with the pace of the car, the small upgrades we introduced worked well and we scored some big points, so we're looking to keep that momentum going.
“Lewis was on incredible form at Silverstone with a brilliant recovery drive in front of his home crowd after the penalty. It was also a strong weekend for Valtteri (Bottas) too with some great teamwork and good pace, which has closed the margin in both Championships.
“We know how fine the margins are this season and how the advantage is swaying from one team to the other at each race. Us and Red Bull looked very closely matched at Silverstone and Ferrari were very quick, and now the battle moves onto the next round and a very different track.
“The Hungaroring is a high-downforce, tight and twisty circuit. Almost like a large version of a go-kart track. Hungary will therefore be a different beast compared to the last race, and it is a track that will likely suit our competitors more, but we'll give it all we've got,” he added.
Verstappen leads the drivers’ standings with 185 points, while Hamilton is second on 177. McLaren Mercedes’ Lando Norris is third on 113 and Bottas is fourth with 108 points.
Verstappen expressed keenness on getting back to the track. "I’m happy to get back on track in Hungary this weekend, especially after the last race result. I’m a little bruised of course but that’s normal after such a big impact but I’m training and feeling good. I did a 24-hour simulator race this week and it was a good test to see how my body would react to spending time sat in one position and behind screens for a long time, I felt absolutely fine which makes me feel positive heading into the weekend. I’m definitely ready to go again," he said.
"I know what happened at Silverstone as I was in the car and obviously, I feel a certain way about how my race ended but now I’m just focusing on making sure we are the best we can be on track so we can stay ahead in the championship," he added.