Wolff Faces Brutal Reality of Mercedes' Slump

Wolff Faces Brutal Reality of Mercedes’ Slump

24/03/2024

Toto Wolff expresses his frustration with Mercedes’ poor start in 2024, hinting at a deep-seated need for improvement.

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has confessed his desire to “hit himself” after the Melbourne race and the team’s extremely disappointing start to the 2024 season.

Mercedes sank to new lows at the Australian Grand Prix as both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell retired, leaving Mercedes fifth in the constructors’ standings after the first three races of the season.

Mercedes, with only one race win since the introduction of new rules in 2022, entered 2024 hopeful that a car overhaul would allow them to compete for victories this season.

Hamilton, a seven-time world champion who is set to leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025, retired due to an engine failure on lap 17 after qualifying only 11th, while Russell crashed in the penultimate lap chasing Fernando Alonso for sixth place.

“Hard to swallow, super hard,” Wolff admits.

“I’d be lying if I said I felt positive about the situation and optimistic at any point.”

“Just overcoming the negative thoughts and saying ‘we will turn this around’. Today, it’s very, very brutal.”

“We started this season believing this car was better than last year’s. Then, you look at last year [in Australia] where Leclerc retired and Sainz was fourth, McLaren was 17th, 18th or 19th, and now they’re 40 seconds ahead of us.”

“On one hand, I felt like hitting myself today. On the other hand, it’s proof that when things are done correctly, the situation can be turned around quite quickly and we continue to believe.”

“Right now, it’s a very difficult period.”

Wolff continues to question this W15.

“There were moments in the race where we lacked pace significantly. And then there were moments at the end when, comparing similar data, we were doing okay. It’s still not where we want to be.”

“You could see during the second stint, Fernando with the medium tires, we couldn’t get close. The lap times were a second off McLaren’s! Then suddenly, in the last stint, when we went for it, without worrying too much, the lap times were competitive. Not at Sainz’s level. But much better than McLaren’s. It’s baffling.”

Wolff was asked if he had considered his own position given Mercedes’ prolonged difficulties.

“As a member of this company, I have to be sure my contribution is positive and creative.”

“I would be the first to say, if someone has a better idea, to give it to me, because I want to get this team back on track as quickly as possible. And I’d be happy to give my opinion and see what that would look like or could be.”

“We have a physical problem, not a philosophical or organizational one. We haven’t swallowed a stupidity pill since 2021. It’s just that we don’t understand some of the car’s behaviors that, in the past, we always would have.”

“I look at myself in the mirror every day about everything I do, and if I think I should ask myself whether to stop, I would do it but that’s not how I feel right now.”

Wolff then explained that his situation can’t be compared to that of a football team manager, given his 33% stake in the team means he remains tied to Mercedes, whether he stays in his role or not.

“The big difference with football is that it’s not about the manager, it’s my job. I can’t just stop and be transferred to another team like Ferrari.”

“I don’t have that choice, which is also regrettable. I’m not an entrepreneur or an employee who says: ‘I’ve had enough of this’. I’m like on a hamster wheel that keeps turning and I can’t jump off.”

Wolff Faces Brutal Reality of Mercedes' Slump

Wolff Faces Brutal Reality of Mercedes’ Slump. Wolff Faces Brutal Reality of Mercedes’ Slump

Race Center
China Flag
Chinese GP
21 Mar 2025 - 23 Mar 2025
Free Practice 1
21 MAR 03:30 - 04:30
Sprint Qual
21 MAR 07:30 - 08:14
Sprint Race
22 MAR 03:00 - 04:00
Qualifying
22 MAR 07:00 - 08:00
Race
23 MAR 07:00 - 09:00

2025 F1 Australian Grand Prix - Race Results

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
57
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
+0.895s
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
+8.481s
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
+12.773s
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
+15.135s
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
+17.413s
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
+18.423s
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
+19.826s
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
+20.448s
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
+22.473s
Pierre Gasly
11
PIERRE
GASLY
+26.502s
Yuki Tsunoda
12
YUKI
TSUNODA
+29.884s
Esteban Ocon
13
ESTEBAN
OCON
+33.161s
Oliver Bearman
14
OLIVER
BEARMAN
+40.351s
Liam Lawson
15
LIAM
LAWSON
47 DNF
Gabriel Bortoleto
16
GABRIEL
BORTOLETO
47 DNF
Fernando Alonso
17
FERNANDO
ALONSO
34 DNF
Carlos Sainz
18
CARLOS
SAINZ
0 DNF
Jack Doohan
19
JACK
DOOHAN
0 DNF
Isack Hadjar
20
ISACK
HADJAR
0 DNF
F1 CALENDAR 2025
Race
Date
Chinese Flag
Chinese
Shanghai International
23 Mar
Japanese Flag
Japanese
Suzuka Circuit
6 Apr
Bahrain Flag
Bahrain
Sakhir desert
13 Apr
Saudi Arabia Flag
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street
20 Apr
United States Flag
United States
Miami
04 May

2025 FORMULA 1 DRIVERS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
25 Points
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
18
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
15
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
12
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
10
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
8
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
6
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
4
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
2
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
1

2025 FORMULA 1 CONSTRUCTORS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

1
McLaren
27
2
Mercedes
25
3
Red Bull
18
4
Williams
12
5
Aston Martin
8
6
Sauber
6
7
Ferrari
5
8
Alpine F1
0
9
Haas F1
0
10
Racing Bulls
0
Go toTop