Toto Wolff expressed disappointment after sprint qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix, having hoped for a pole position that did not materialize.
Mercedes has been improving recently, with significant strides made each week after previously struggling to understand the car.
In sprint qualifying, George Russell finished fourth and Lewis Hamilton sixth.
Wolff believed that achieving pole position for sprint qualifying was possible, indicating a higher expectation for their performance.
“It was a good session for us, qualifying not so, but it’s clear, expectations are different now. We thought that we could play for pole but Verstappen was far too quick. The McLarens, like they’ve done in the past, they just have been able to do it with a strong lap.”
“I think that sprint is difficult to judge, but when you look at the packing order and qualifying that’s probably what it is also the race.”
