Even with the “W15”, as the Silver Arrow is officially called, Mercedes is not capable of winning on its own. After Mercedes won eight constructors’ titles and seven drivers’ world championships, the team crashed in 2022 following a rule revolution. The Stuttgart luxury brand is currently only in fourth place. Toto Wolff has been team boss and co-owner of the Formula 1 team since 2013. The 52-year-old Austrian owns 33 percent of the racing team.
Ask: Mr. Wolff, you have already written off both world championship titles after four of 24 races this season. How do you feel as number 4 in Formula 1?
Toto Wolff: We are currently not meeting our own expectations, that is our yardstick. The mountain of challenges we have to climb is great, no question. But we are confident about the future. Of course I would like to win every race and both world championships this year and be number one. But Formula 1 is not a dream concert. That’s not how sport works.
Ask: So is fourth place in the team world championship and no chance of winning the new reality for the time being?
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Wolff: We are currently not in a position to win, but we know that periods of weakness are part of a long-term development. Let me give you an example.
Ask: Gladly.
Wolff: Michael Jordan played in the NBA for 15 years and is considered the best player of all time. And that even though he didn’t win the championship every year. He “only” managed that six times. Every athlete and every team has periods of weakness. This is normal and probably necessary. You need times like these to learn for the future. That’s what we’re doing right now. That’s why I know that we will win again and become world champions.
Ask: There is a big difference between knowing and wanting.
Wolff: I’m not afraid to say we will again. That is my full conviction.
Ask: To do this, you have to get huge problems under control. Finally, you said that the data from the wind tunnel was much more promising than the actual performance on the track. Do you have a personnel problem rather than a technology problem?
Wolff: Data doesn’t make decisions, people do. We haven’t been able to interpret the data correctly for two and a half years – but other teams like Red Bull have. We cannot deny that we have made mistakes. But there is no point in acting hastily just to have something done. We don’t oscillate between mania and depression. On the contrary: We in the Formula 1 team are calm and focused and feel full trust from the headquarters in Stuttgart. But we have already adjusted a few things. Also in terms of personnel.
Ask: Could the ongoing crisis become a problem of the future? You make no secret of the fact that you want to lure Max Verstappen into your team as Lewis Hamilton’s successor.
Wolff: The stopwatch doesn’t lie: Max is the best driver in the best car. Therefore, every Formula 1 team will want to have Max in their car.
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Ask: Are you in direct contact with Verstappen?
Wolff: I have his cell phone number, yes. But I could send him as many compliments and promises as I want – in the end, all that matters is what’s on the track. Max is a thoroughbred racer with great sporting ambitions. But: The past has also shown that our current situation can also be an incentive for drivers.
Ask: You have to explain this…
Wolff: The best example is Michael Schumacher. After becoming world champion twice with Benetton, Michael moved to Ferrari. And that despite the fact that they were weak back then – like we are now. But Michael wanted to lead Ferrari back to the top. He wanted to be the one who got the biggest team in Formula 1 back on track. After five years of development work, he achieved this impressively by winning five world titles. For many, this makes him the greatest driver of all time.
Ask: How do you see your chances of signing Verstappen?
Wolff: You’ll have to ask Max. But of course we don’t just deal with him; we are prepared for all scenarios.
Ask: With Kimi Antonelli you have a top young talent who is already considered a future world champion.
Wolff: Kimi is a promising driver who could become one of the greats. We’ll have to wait and see how things develop in the coming months. After all, he is only driving in his first season in Formula 2.
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Ask: Does Carlos Sainz, who has to make way for Hamilton at Ferrari, also have a chance for the silver seat?
Wolff: With his current performances, Carlos must be an option for any team that has a free cockpit. He has taken a huge step and will be at the top of most team bosses’ wish lists. But the same applies here: We are aware that the chances of finding top drivers increase if you can supply them with a top car. Of course, we were a more attractive bride in the past when we were among the favorites to win every weekend. We want to go there again. That’s why we now have to work on our performance as quickly as possible in order to stand for the Mercedes values again.
Ask: Which are they?
Wolff: Above all, long-term success. I believe that we can still achieve success this season and next, but by 2026 at the latest the cards will be over with the engine revolution (50 percent electric share, the editorial team) remixed. The drivers know this too.
Four-time world champion talks about Formula 1 comeback
Is a sensational comeback on the horizon? For Sebastian Vettel, a return to Formula 1 could be “appealing and interesting”. With Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes for Ferrari next season, one of the most coveted cockpits for the 2025 season is up for grabs.
Ask: Red Bull will be competing with its own engine for the first time. There is a persistent rumor in the paddock that the drive unit will have a lower performance compared to yours or Ferrari’s.
Wolff: I can not judge over this. But building an engine is extremely complicated. I am reassured that we have experienced engineers who did an excellent job during the last major engine revolution in 2014.
Ask: Let’s stay with Red Bull. After it became known that team boss Christian Horner was said to have sent sex messages to his assistant, a power struggle has been raging there for weeks. How much damage does this do to Formula 1?
Wolff: I think this is primarily a problem for Red Bull. I’m simply surprised at how many people duck it and don’t face the issue.
The interview was conducted for the Sports Competence Center (WELT, SPORT BILD, BILD) and first published in BILD AM SONNTAG.