Lewis Hamilton, Toto Wolff and Mercedes were left frustrated at the Belgian Grand Prix as Max Verstappen scooped his eighth straight victory. The Silver Arrows had high hopes of getting on the podium but were forced to watch the post-race celebrations from afar, with Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc coming home in second and third respectively.
Mercedes will be desperate to return to contention after the summer break, although the German team may be worried after Wolff branded their race a ‘vicious cycle’ as his drivers once again struggled with bouncing at high speed. The problem held Mercedes back for the entirety of last year and it seems as though it may be rearing its head once again in a crushing blow for all those connected with the Brackley squad.
“The main limiting factor today and yesterday was the bouncing,” said Wolff. “The car is just bouncing literally every straight. Even Blanchimont was a corner that Lewis had to lift, which is an easy flat normally.
“You’re bouncing on the straight, you overheat the tyres on the braking, so that is a vicious cycle. It was the main limiting factor this weekend and it’s frustrating to check out for the holidays like this.”
Follow Express Sport‘s live updates below…
