MEXICO CITY — Toto Wolff believes Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix will probably be Mercedes’ greatest shot a securing a victory this season, however burdened that beating Max Verstappen wouldn’t be a simple activity.

Verstappen pipped George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to pole place on Saturday by 0.3s, though each Mercedes drivers misplaced out after Russell made a mistake on his closing lap and Hamilton encountered an engine subject that momentarily minimize energy popping out of essential corners on his quickest laps.

Mercedes has not received a grand prix underneath F1’s new rules this season, bringing an finish to eight years of dominance inside the sport.

In qualifying in Mexico Metropolis, the relative efficiency of Russell and Hamilton appeared as shut because it has been to Verstappen all yr and, with three races remaining, Wolff believes Sunday’s race would be the staff’s greatest shot at a win in 2022.

“Yeah, I believe so,” he advised media after qualifying. “The nice factor is that in our simulations we had that in a manner on the radar – it being the perfect race – so that’s good that it correlates with the actual world.

“However a very powerful factor is that we actually have the tempo and slowly however certainly we’re going ahead and studying the teachings for subsequent yr.”

The lengthy straight from the grid to Flip 1 in Mexico Metropolis may present a possibility for Russell and Hamilton to slipstream and cross Verstappen into the primary nook. However, Wolff mentioned Verstappen will stay robust competitor to beat over the course of the 71-lap race.

“I believe in all my life there may be solely a handful of events I’ve been assured, however by no means in System One,” Wolff mentioned. “I am aggravated about not being on pole, as a result of it might have ticked a field, however equally having Max together with his prime velocity benefit behind us would have been an issue tomorrow.

“And beginning second and third will be advantageous and I hope we are able to stick our nostril, or each noses, into Flip 1 after which disappear into the space. Undoubtedly that’s going to be troublesome.

“Our lengthy runs [in practice] had been good, however then the Pink Bull had a good tempo on the second and third flying lap and our tyres degraded. So the trustworthy reply is, I do not know. I very a lot hope that we will be aggressive.”

Mercedes sudden enhance in efficiency relative to its rivals is partly right down to the Mexico Metropolis’s altitude, which is over 2,200 metres above sea degree and over 1,400 metres greater than another circuit on the F1 calendar. The discount in air density means the automobiles create much less drag, which has been a key weak point of Mercedes this yr, whereas the engine’s turbocharger has to spin quicker to generate the identical quantity of energy.

“For a few years Mexico wasn’t a superb race for us due to the altitude,” Wolff added. “However the energy unit guys have actually given us a brilliant sturdy engine and we endure rather a lot much less from our draggy automobile right here, whereas operating excessive downforce like all of the others. Usually that has been a greater place for us previously.”