Toto Wolff had kept a target on every team’s back for 2022. However, it did not work out the way he had hoped for. Mercedes not only suffered horribly last season, but their poor fortunes also carried on in 2023. In fact, things got worse in 2023 as the Silver Arrows failed to win a race in a single season for the first time in 11 years. Despite their poor form, Wolff is still optimistic that they have learned their lessons, and has now even subtly warned their rivals.
In an exclusive interview with PlanetF1, Wolff stated that the team is all set for the 2024 season with renewed vigor. He said, “The days we lose are the days our competitors regret because we are learning the most and this year has certainly been character building and I hope stones are in place to be more competitive.”
The Mercedes team principal then cited how they have taken all the lessons with an open mind to improve. It must have been difficult for the Brackley outfit to go from winning multiple races in a season to winning only one race in the past two years.
However, this was a result of their own mistakes with the zero sidepod concept. Both the W13 and the W14 suffered awfully with porpoising before Mercedes scrapped that idea with a revamped car. After the 2023 Spanish GP, the team stated that they are looking at a different development path now.
While the upgraded W14, which was almost a B-spec car, performed better, it did not boost the Silver Arrows’ performance by much. They still were off the pace at multiple races, and Brazil was probably the worst, which shocked Wolff.
Toto Wolff aiming to keep his cards close to the chest ahead of 2024
Toto Wolff teased some insights about the 2024 challenger. He mentioned that the W15 will be close to what a conventional F1 car is. Although, it will have some “interesting details” that are “not seen on other cars yet.”
Wolff and Mercedes will look to keep things a secret about their new car. Usually, all teams avoid disclosing a lot of details about their new cars until pre-season testing in Bahrain. There have been seasons when the German team has tried to keep their car concept hidden until the first race weekend.
About Mercedes’ poor seasons in 2022 and 2023, Wolff highlighted that they knew such a tough time could come. He stated, “We knew that there will be a time when it’s getting tougher, after eight titles that happened.”
The Austrian also added that amid this difficult time, there is no lack of fighting spirit at the Brackley-based team. They all believe that a ninth Constructors’ Championship can soon be added to their collection.
