Toto Wolff reflects on Mercedes’ 2023 season, highlighting two unexpected races as the bright spots in an otherwise disappointing campaign. Additionally, the Mercedes team boss has a message for his rivals as they approach the upcoming season.
“In response to the question about how much he has learned from the 2023 season, Wolff shared in a new interview on Mercedes’ YouTube channel, ‘A lot.’ The German racing team ultimately secured the second position in the constructors’ championship, but it was not without its challenges. According to the team boss, the tough season proved to be highly educational. ‘The challenging seasons are the ones from which you learn the most. The days we lose are the days our rivals will regret. We have learned so much.'”
When asked about his personal highlight of the season, the Mercedes team boss surprisingly mentions the United States Grand Prix. ‘It might sound a bit strange because we were disqualified, but in Austin, the car performed exceptionally well.
Mercedes Reflects on Challenging 2023 F1 Season
We were able to chase the leader (Max Verstappen, editor’s note).’ Despite Lewis Hamilton’s post-race disqualification due to a low floor, Wolff described it as a ‘pleasant weekend.’
The last race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, is also considered a highlight by Wolff. ‘I never had much affinity for P2 and P3, but being able to secure P2 was an emotionally significant moment for the team.’ As a low point, Wolff mentions the Grand Prix in São Paulo, where the team had clinched victory in 2022 thanks to George Russell. In 2023, however, Russell couldn’t finish the race, and Hamilton couldn’t secure a position higher than P8.
In 2023, Mercedes experienced a year that may not be remembered with great pride, and Wolff understands why the car didn’t perform as well as the team had hoped.
‘The car didn’t deliver the stable performance we had predicted, perhaps due to not developing it within the right parameters. The collaboration between the chassis and the wheels didn’t work well, so that was the most crucial lesson we learned this year.’
Wolff concludes the interview by expressing satisfaction that his team still managed to secure P2 in the constructors’ championship. Despite resulting in less wind tunnel time for Mercedes, he sees it as a moral victory.
Wolff issues a warning in advance Wolff issues a warning in advance
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