Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is maintaining a sense of calm amidst the challenges facing his team early in the 2024 Formula 1 season, attributing his composure to a shift in “mindset”. The Mercedes-AMG F1 team has encountered difficulties, especially highlighted during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where the W15 struggled notably in high-speed corners.
Despite the apparent issues, Wolff remains steadfast in his belief that the team can overcome these hurdles. He expressed unwavering faith in Mercedes’ ability to address and rectify the current shortcomings, even as the potential looms for a third consecutive year of attempting to resolve persistent problems with ground effect cars.
“I’ve changed my mindset,” Wolff stated. “I don’t think that additional pressure on all of us makes it better.”
He elaborated on the nature of the issue, suggesting that it’s a matter of physics rather than a lack of effort or motivation from the team. Wolff highlighted the positive atmosphere within the organisation and the collective drive to improve.
“As racers, when we have such [disappointing] results, you’re feeling down, but we’re trying to change that with the right motivation for the week that comes. That’s why we are believing that we can turn this around. We believe that our organisation can dig ourselves out. I’m 100% sure we can,” he affirmed.
Wolff also touched upon the progress Mercedes has made in understanding its car concept, contrasting the current situation with the uncertainties of the previous year. Despite improvements and a clearer direction, the car exhibits unexpected behaviour at high-speed in particular, which continues to baffle and confuse the team.
“This team has not been overconfident. We are probably the other way around. We see that glass half empty always. And that attitude stays, but this is also the attitude to fix it,” Wolff remarked, acknowledging the team’s critical self-assessment as a driving force behind its efforts to resolve issues.
With confidence in the team’s capabilities and lessons learned from past challenges, Wolff is optimistic about Mercedes’ future performance. He believes that the team’s concerted efforts will eventually pay off, allowing them to compete more effectively and achieve podium finishes, although he ruled out challenging Max Verstappen in the near future.
“It is a different confidence that I have in the group this time around,” he stated.
“Is this good enough to beat a Max [Verstappen] in a Red Bull? No, it’s not. But at least bringing ourselves into a position of fighting for podiums and being right there, I’m 100% sure we are going to get there.”
