After finding a good pace this weekend, Mercedes finished 5-6 in qualifying. Coupled with grid penalties for Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez, they will start 3-4 on the grid. Going by the kind of season they are having, one would think they’d be pleased with the result. However, Toto Wolff feels they could have done better and Sunday could be an interesting race day.

Could this finally be the race for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell?

Having been the most dominating team in the hybrid engine era, Mercedes are not used to not being on the podium. This season has been a humbling experience for them so far. Starting in the second row on Sunday at COTA could well be the morale booster they need.

Toto Wolff thinks they could have been closer to pole position

Mercedes brought in some changes to the car for the US Grand Prix. Speaking after qualifying, team principal Toto Wolff felt the latest updates worked well. However, they could have been three-tenths of a second faster.

Toto continued, “this car is still so tricky to drive, and that’s how it goes sometimes. But overall, the car is working pretty well and we could have been closer to pole – so I think we can be part of some fun games up front tomorrow.”

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The 8-time constructors’ championship-winning Mercedes boss also paid his tribute to Dietrich Mateschitz. He said, “This sport owes him so much, not just for what he created in Spielberg but also for the two teams [Red Bull and Toro Rosso] he owned and developed. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell react to the qualifying session

The two Mercedes drivers had contrasting reactions to qualifying. George Russell felt that while he had a difficult weekend otherwise, he was pleased with qualifying. “It has been a difficult weekend for me, and I was off the pace in all the other sessions, so I’m pleased to be in a more normal position for qualifying.”

Russell felt the gap to pole position was smaller than usual and the updates to the car worked well for them.

Lewis Hamilton, who qualified a place higher than his teammate, felt the session was difficult for him owing to track conditions. “I don’t know if it’s because temperatures dropped, or the wind picked up, but the car was such a handful suddenly and that made it hard to put the laps together, especially in the final sector.”

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With the two Mercedes in the second row, things could certainly heat up. It has been a while since the two Silver Arrow drivers took the podium finish. Could the US GP break the curse?