Wolff: even a 1.5-second pace advantage may not be enough to pass at Marina Bay
Archive photograph: Toto Wolff · Australian Grand Prix paddock, Melbourne 2026 · 2026-03-07Archive photo · 2026-03-07 · Yu Chu Chin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Wolff said overtaking at Marina Bay could remain difficult even for a chasing car with a pace advantage of one to 1.5 seconds over the car ahead. He also praised George Russell's early overtakes before his progress stalled in the midfield.
After the Singapore Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said a substantial pace advantage could count for little at Marina Bay: even if the car behind had a pace advantage of one to 1.5 seconds over the car ahead, it might still be unable to pass.
Wolff praised George Russell's several strong overtakes in the opening laps. Marina Bay has few long straights, and cars following in dirty air suffer aerodynamic penalties. In GPBeat's reading, those conditions help explain why Russell's progress stalled in the tightly packed midfield.
Sources 01
- SOURCEToto Wolff delivers brutal verdict on F1’s overtaking after Russell’s Singapore nightmareMotorsport.com F1
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