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Toto Wolff Avoids Talking About Wins: “Maybe It’s Just a Superstition”

Somin Bhattacharjee
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Toto Wolff Avoids Talking About Wins: "Maybe It’s Just a Superstition"

Toto Wolff is one of the most successful F1 team principals of all time, having guided Mercedes to eight Constructors’ championship wins since joining in 2013. Although he is used to victories, he still tries his best not to think about them. Wolff learned the same the hard way.

In the Performance People podcast, Wolff spoke about ‘not counting his chickens before they hatched’. The host, Georgina Jane Ainslie, asked him why, to which Wolff replied, “It’s a life lesson… You’ve got to keep things in you. Not talk too much about what could be or what couldn’t be.” 

Ainslie pressed for a better answer and Wolff said, “Maybe it’s just a superstition.” Wolff recounted an incident where, with five laps remaining in a race and one of his cars in the lead, he began thinking about who to send up on the podium to celebrate with his winning driver.

Then, disaster struck — a DNF took them out of the race. “You’re not sending anyone to the podium, because you’ve just lost,” the Austrian added. Whenever Wolff finds himself thinking about a potential victory, he reminds himself of past situations where similar thoughts had cost him.

Visualization can be powerful — Wolff

Wolff knows what it takes to run one of the biggest and most successful sports teams in recent times. He also had Lewis Hamilton — a mega athlete — on his team, so managing expectations could not have been stress-free.

When asked if he believes in visualization, Wolff said yes. “I think setting objectives is the single most important thing in your life… But you need to be very humble about it. It can come [back] otherwise.” 

It’s a mantra Wolff has developed throughout his career, one that has helped him sustain his success. He is currently focused on getting Mercedes out of the slump that began in 2022. Once a championship-winning team, the Silver Arrows were reduced to midfield contenders.

However, Wolff and the Brackley-based squad worked tirelessly to return to form in 2024, achieving three wins so far this season. Still, as Wolff told Ainslie, he won’t consider this a true success until he reaches his ultimate goal — winning the World championship again.

Post Edited By:Vidit Dhawan

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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