Wolff: It's not worth drawing conclusions based on the results of the recent races.

      On the eve of the Barcelona-Catalonia Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff spoke about the team's objectives for the upcoming weekend and confirmed that Frederik Vesti will replace Kimi Antonelli in the first free practice session.

      Toto Wolff: "Barcelona has a more traditional and therefore more representative track that allows us to truly assess the car's capabilities. There is a long straight and a combination of fast, medium-speed, and slow corners, so after two rounds with a sprint and the race in Monaco, we will get a clearer picture of our level.

      This will be the first weekend after which we can better understand the effectiveness of the latest updates and assess our position relative to our competitors. We'll see how the car behaves, whether it has the necessary speed, and if we can realize its potential. Until then, it’s not worth making far-reaching conclusions based on the results of the last races.

      Kimi certainly gained additional confidence after the Monaco round, but now it’s important to continue progressing and do our job well in Barcelona. For George, the last races haven’t gone the best way, but that’s part of racing. We know how strong he is psychologically, we know what he is capable of, and we know that he has the right people around him. The task is simple – to leave the past rounds behind, focus on the upcoming weekend, and show the result he is capable of.

      In the first practice session, Frederik will take the wheel of Kimi's car. He plays an important role in the development of the W17 and helps us better understand how to unlock the car's potential. This session will give him the opportunity to connect his simulator experience with the real car, and for us to gather even more useful information for further work on its improvement."