Toto Wolff has unequivocally stated that he hasn’t even entertained the notion of relinquishing his role as team principal at Mercedes, even in the aftermath of failing to secure a single race victory in 2023.
The struggles faced by Mercedes were a stark contrast to the dominance of their rivals, Red Bull. Red Bull managed to secure victory in 21 out of the 22 races, ultimately leading Max Verstappen to his third consecutive drivers’ championship.
Since Toto Wolff took over in 2013, Mercedes had enjoyed a period of supremacy in Formula 1. They had an uninterrupted streak of constructors’ championship titles during the turbo-hybrid era. This success was largely due to the contributions of Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, and Valtteri Bottas, who solidified Mercedes as a formidable force in modern-day F1.
However, things have changed since Hamilton’s impressive performance in the second-to-last race of the 2021 season. Mercedes’ once-unbeatable position has faltered, with only one race victory to their credit.
Despite this challenging period, there was a glimmer of hope when George Russell achieved a sensational triumph at Interlagos in 2022. However, it remains a solitary bright spot amidst the team’s struggles. Nevertheless, Toto Wolff remains determined to guide Mercedes back to its former glory.
When asked if he ever considers stepping down, Wolff responded firmly to the media, saying, “No, I don’t. Because I still believe that I can contribute to the team in my area of expertise.”
“And that is, I think, keeping it together, although I’m very emotional sometimes. But they know me so well, that I have these difficult moments on Sunday night. I can contribute.
“Unfortunately, I haven’t found someone where I would say: ‘I think that person has more energy, more drive, more skill and all of these factors that I believe are important to be a team principal’.”