After winning the driver’s championship for seven consecutive years and the constructor’s championship for eight, the downfall of Mercedes has been a sorry affair. Just two seasons after their last championship win, the Silver Arrows have been struggling to keep up with their competition from the top half of the F1 standings. Seeing the slack off in their performance, Mercedes opted for a slight reshuffling in their ranks, with James Allison retaking the role of Technical Director yet again. But the latest reports suggest there might be trouble in Mercedes’ paradise.
Since the start of the 2023 season, Mercedes has faced multiple challenges with their car, leading to a significant lack of performance. They have failed to win even a single race this season, with their last win coming at the Brazil GP in 2022.
While Mercedes has shown considerable improvement throughout the season, their expectations are certainly much higher. The whole team has to come together and work as one to deliver championship-level performances, but none of that will be possible if there is infighting amongst top brass.
Toto Wolff and James Allison at the crossroads at Mercedes
Upon joining Mercedes in 2017, James Allison took on the team’s Technical Director role. In 2021, Allison became the team’s Chief Technical Officer, with Mike Elliott succeeding as Technical Director. Following two underwhelming seasons, Allison and Elliott swapped their roles, with Allison returning to the frontline.
But BusinessF1 magazine now reports that all is not well between team principal Toto Wolff and James Allison. Per their report, Allison has lost all faith in Wolff’s philosophy, with rifts forming between the two. Since the death of Niki Lauda, Allison has felt unhappy with Mercedes, which led to him stepping away from the frontline.
Another possible outcome of the supposed rift is Allison’s departure from the Brackley-based outfit. With solid rumors suggesting Hamilton might be heading to Ferrari once the season ends, Allison might accompany him to the red and white, especially given his familiarity with the team. There have also been rumors that suggest Wolff’s absence from the UK has been a cause for concern in the Silver Arrows’ camp, with the team boss being forced to move closer to the factory.
Wolff’s absence from Brackley raises even more questions
Toto Wolff, serving as a ‘tax exile,’ lives in Monaco with his family and visits his team’s factory when need be. BusinessF1 magazine surfaced this issue as they compared Wolff’s dedication towards his squad with his rival, Christian Horner’s. The Red Bull boss visits his team factory almost four times more than Wolff in a year.
With Wolff already needing to spend more time in the UK, reports of him taking two weeks off every month to fly to Boston and teach have raised even more concerns. His undertaking of teaching an MBA class at Harvard Business School has rubbed F1 fans and experts the wrong way. While he remains one of the most successful team principals in the sport’s history, a much more strict environment is needed for Mercedes to get back on track
