Mercedes admit costly mistake at Japanese Grand Prix

Despite securing a front-row lockout at Suzuka Circuit, the team struggled to convert its strong qualifying performance into a smooth race, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Both drivers lost positions immediately after lights out:

• George Russell dropped from second to fourth
• Kimi Antonelli fell from pole to sixth

Wolff admitted the team failed to provide optimal setup conditions for race starts, while also pointing to driver errors.

According to Wolff, a setup decision made after final practice significantly affected car performance.

He said the changes worsened the car’s balance between FP3 and qualifying, ultimately impacting race pace—particularly for Russell.

Race strategy also played a role in the outcome. Russell pitted just before a safety car was deployed, costing him track position.

In contrast, Antonelli benefited from the timing, eventually cycling back into the race lead under the safety car conditions.

Russell’s race was further impacted by a software issue, which affected his performance and contributed to him being overtaken by Charles Leclerc.

Wolff described the race as a combination of factors going wrong, including setup decisions, strategy calls, and technical issues.

While the team still managed a victory, the race exposed ongoing issues with race starts and execution.

Mercedes has now secured multiple front-row lockouts this season but continues to struggle converting those advantages into clean race performances—an area Wolff indicated the team must improve going forward.