Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has moved to quell talk of a schism with its customer teams after securing a dominant qualifying performance in China. Following last weekend's Australian Grand Prix, where Mercedes dominated qualifying by a similar margin, it became clear that the works team enjoyed an advantage over its clients in terms of how it exploited its power unit.

Naturally, the grumbling began, though McLaren and Williams were the only customers to voice their frustrations publicly. The crux of the complaints was that only the works team had the latest power unit spec during pre-season Bahrain tests, leaving customers with a 'knowledge gap' that affected simulation outcomes. Williams team principal James Vowles alluded to being "caught out" by Mercedes' superiority.

Wolff held a 'clear the air' meeting in Shanghai this week to mollify customer concerns and seek agreement to turn down the rhetoric. "At the end of the day everyone naturally tries to find some kind of advantage for themselves," said Wolff after sprint qualifying. "We discussed this again with the customer teams."

The success of the meeting was palpable in the shift in tone from previously critical quarters. McLaren's drivers had clearly been briefed to avoid questions on the relationship with Mercedes, signaling a return to cooperation between the teams.