With Mercedes facing a downward slump in performance, Team Principal Toto Wolff is under immense pressure to pull up his socks and be like his rival Christian Horner. This change could cost the Mercedes boss $10,000,000.
According to Business F1, unlike Horner, Wolff spends less time at the factory in Brackley. And while he has sanctioned a $100,000,000 fund for the redevelopment of the factory, which is supposed to boost employee morale, the revamping of infrastructure is not all that the team needs.
The magazine also reported that, according to an insider, the Mercedes team does not feel they have a leader. On top of that, when Mike Elliott joined as Chief Technical Officer, the problems in the Mercedes camp became even worse.
Toto Wolff under pressure to end his tax exile
With a lack of leadership inside the Silver Arrows camp, Toto Wolff is reportedly under immense pressure to end his tax exile and follow in the footsteps of his rival Christian Horner. While Wolff lives in Monaco and only occasionally visits the factory, his Red Bull counterpart, Horner, lives in Oxfordshire and devotes four times as many days in a year to his factory.
Horner’s presence and hard work with his team have yielded results. Following that, Wolff has been put under pressure to ensure his availability at the Brackley factory as well, according to Business F1. However, if Wolff were to do that, it would cost him $10,000,000 a year in additional personal tax, and therefore he is resisting.
The situation is even more complicated as Wolff’s boss, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos Chairman sets a bad example for him as he resides in Monaco. On top of that, Wolff has also revealed his intentions for other jobs.
Toto Wolff to devote more time to academics
Recently, it was revealed that Toto Wolff would take two weeks off every month to fly to Boston and teach MBA at the Harvard Business School. His commitment to academics and shaping the minds of leaders of tomorrow has also irked some of the F1 experts as Mercedes continues to struggle on track.
College dropout and self-proclaimed ‘academic loser’ Toto Wolff will share the secrets of @MercedesAMGF1‘s historic success in a Harvard Business School course next winter.
That’s awesome! 🏎️🏆🎓 pic.twitter.com/EJc2TK9ZYi
— Vincenzo Landino (@vincenzolandino) May 2, 2023
Although it is important to note that it was under Wolff’s leadership that Mercedes won eight constructors’ championships in a row. The Mercedes was unbeatable with Lewis Hamilton as their driver as they also grabbed six drivers’ championship titles and dominated the last decade.
However, it appears as though more strictness is required within the camp to rise back to the top. Currently, the Silver Arrows are finding to hard to make their way through the midfield, let alone compete at the top.
