Team chief Toto Wolff on Saturday slammed as “unacceptable” defending constructors’ champions Mercedes’ qualifying performance at the Belgian Grand Prix, saying it was the worst he had known.

Wolff said he could not understand how they could be on pole at one race weekend and then 1.8 seconds off the pace at the following race three weeks later. 

“You can’t be on pole three weeks before – albeit for very different conditions, different track – and then be 1.8 seconds off the pace, at the next one,” Wolff told reporters.

“There’s something which we totally don’t understand, or seem to get right. Clearly, Red Bull is here in a league of their own. What is the next Ferrari — eight or nine tenths off? So, I don’t know what that is, but that is no consolation.

“For me, it’s the worst qualifying session that I have had in 10 years. Irrespective of what positions we are going to start tomorrow, just even being on pole at one weekend and then three weeks later being nowhere is just not acceptable for ourselves.”

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