Mercedes Chief Defends His Position Within The Team After Disappointing Season Start
It's been a rough ride for the once-dominant Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team, who have struggled to keep up with the front runners in the early stages of the 2023 season. But despite this, Team Principal Toto Wolff remains confident that he's the right man to lead the charge.
The Mercedes team enjoyed an incredible run of success, winning eight consecutive Constructors' Championships between 2014 and 2021, including seven Drivers' Championships. But the team's fortunes took a turn for the worse in 2022, when they only managed one win, and things haven't improved much in 2023, with Oracle Red Bull Racing currently leading the way.
Wolff has been at the helm of Mercedes since 2013 and despite the recent setbacks, he's determined to help the team regain their winning ways. According to Motorsport.com, Wolff explained:
“Whether it is good or bad, I really enjoy being the team principal of the team. I think I can contribute.
“But, if one day I come to the conclusion, or people that are close to me are going to tell me that I’m not [contributing], then I will consider giving the baton to somebody else. I would have no shame that I’ll criticise from the sidelines, from a TV screen and know it better.
“But, until then, I think I still have fun doing it. And obviously turning the ship around, after so many successful years, that’s really a good challenge.”
Despite the current struggles, Wolff says he's still having fun leading the team and relishes the challenge of getting them back to the top of the sport. He's received the full backing of the team and lead investors INEOS, who have been through both good and bad times with the team.
He continued:
“The people in charge in Mercedes and in INEOS, they are high-performance individuals within the core business or in sports.
“We have all been through downs and ups and there is not a millimetre of doubt.
“There is so much support from them in order to get us back on track. I couldn’t wish, from neither Jim [Ratcliffe] nor Ola [Kallenius], and all the others that are associated with this, for better support.”