Managing Expectations Set to Be Mercedes’ Biggest 2024 Hurdle, Claims Toto Wolff

2022 saw a major change in technical regulations in F1, something that Mercedes did not deal particularly well with. They have won just one race in two years, and are itching to get back to the top of F1 again. However, with the gap to Red Bull being extremely big, Toto Wolff and Mercedes need to tread carefully and manage their expectations heading into the 2024 season.

In a recent YouTube video, as quoted by GP Blog, Wolff speaks about the upcoming campaign. “The biggest challenge is to outline the right expectations. We have a gigantic mountain to climb. There is a team that is so successful, and there is a big sporty hole that needs to be smaller.”, stated the Mercedes boss.

Wolff added that the Silver Arrows have taken the right steps to kickstart their journey back to the top. However, whether or not they will be able to compete for a championship in 2024 is yet to be seen.

There were several problems with the W13, and when they got rectified, newer issues came up in their latest challenger, the W14. Red Bull meanwhile, has been near-perfect. As a result, Wolff does not want to predict anything about the W15 before it actually hits the track.

Toto Wolff won’t make predictions about W15

Toto Wolff has claimed that they will build the W15 from scratch, unlike the W14. After Mercedes recorded a win late in the 2022 season with their zero-sidepod concept, the Brackley-based outfit decided to design their next challenger based on that.

 

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Now, Wolff looks back on it as a mistake and in 2023 itself, they revealed that their next car will be built out of a completely new concept. Still, Wolff won’t say whether the idea will work or not. Fans have to wait and watch, at least until the 2024 Bahrain GP.

Wolff will pay close attention to the cars during the test. The Austrian is also feeling very impatient and insists that if it were up to him, he would start testing the cars right now, instead of waiting till February.