Mercedes is currently going through a rough patch after dominating the turbo-hybrid era by winning eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships. Even though the Silver Arrows are currently second in the championship, the problem for Toto Wolff and the team is that they are still way behind leaders Red Bull. And to undo that, he is willing to lose his own personal wealth.
Over the last couple of years, Red Bull has dominated the entire grid and remains undefeated this year. What makes things worse for Mercedes is their close fight for second place with Aston Martin, one of their customer teams. Hence, amid these struggles, Wolff is desperate to find solutions.
The Austrian recently stated in a recent interview that he would not even mind giving up the team’s entire profit and loss account if this is what it took to help them get back to the top. He made his point by explaining that it is the pace of the car that counts and nothing else.
Pressure on Toto Wolff and Mercedes continues to rise with Aston Martin’s rise
The fight for second in the Constructors’ Championship is close between Mercedes and Aston Martin, with Ferrari not too behind. The Silver Arrows’ double podium in Spain helped increase their points tally to 152 and move them 18 points clear of third-placed Aston Martin. Meanwhile, Ferrari is currently fourth with 100 points.
Since the battle for second is so tight, Toto Wolff and Mercedes have no space to keep calm. When asked in a recent interview with CNBC about how much of a difference it makes to finish second as compared to winning, Wolff replied, “It is significant. And I would give up every profit just to win on track“.
He then went on to explain how for a normal businessman doing something like this may sound “crazy” and that for F1, he believes that it is the “stopwatch” that counts. Wolff’s remarks are a clear indication of the desperation that is currently going on in the Mercedes camp to improve the pace of the car.
However, Wolff did admit that with the change in the rules of the cost cap, they cannot spend over a certain amount. The Austrian stated that this rule was brought about to prompt teams to have a sustainable business model.
After highlighting the work that his team is carrying out to close the gap at the top, Wolff went on to praise Red Bull. The 51-year-old stated that since F1 is a “meritocracy,” Red Bull deserves all the praises and success they are currently having.
Mercedes has made significant changes to their team personnel this year
Since Mercedes find themselves on the back foot this year, they have made significant changes to their team personnel. With new technical director Mike Elliot unable to meet expectations, James Allison returned to the team.
However, Toto Wolff revealed in a later interview that Allison would be more involved in strategy making. While the team continues to find ways to rediscover its form, this rough patch has negatively impacted its drivers.
Lewis Hamilton has publicly slammed the team for not listening to him. The Briton stated at the beginning of this season that he had provided Mercedes with some suggestions to improve the car and that the team did not take his suggestions seriously.
Since the Silver Arrows did not listen to him, Hamilton believes his team is struggling. And with the introduction of the cost cap, Mercedes’ struggles are unlikely to get lesser anytime soon.
Since the cost cap will restrict the amount the team can spend to develop their car, Mercedes may only be able to return to the top next year, provided they can figure out the problems that they had with the car this year.
