Wolff shrugs off crashes as a sign Mercedes is quick again

By JEROME PUGMIRE
AP Auto Racing Writer

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff ultimately sees Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s crashes as a positive sign the car is getting faster. He even joked they were like synchronized swimmers for crashing almost simultaneously in Friday’s dramatic ending to sprint qualifying. Wolff looked at the speed of a newly “competitive car” rather than the outcome, saying that “the the last few corners that Lewis attacked were the fastest overall.” Although the crashes led to expensive overnight repairs, an upbeat Wolff says “I’d rather have two cars in the wall fighting for pole than a car that is P8 and drives Steady Eddie.”