Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has been at the helm during their most fruitful period in F1, famously winning eight successive constructor titles during the turbo hybrid era. However, the past two years have not gone as per plan for the Silver Arrows, who look to rediscover their best form and push Red Bull in the upcoming season.
Although the blame can’t be pinned solely on Wolff, the Austrian boss knows the tough nature of the F1 and is hopeful that he will not see the same fate as former legends Ron Dennis and Frank Williams.
Some have pointed a finger at Wolff, feeling that he has lost his edge in recent years. The man in question himself spoke about being nervous he too would be dispensed with.
“We have seen situations where a team boss is no longer at his best,” Wolff said.
“I think of Ron Dennis or Frank Williams – you don’t want to hold on like they did.”
It is interesting that Wolff took the name of Dennis and Williams, both of whom enjoyed similar career trajectories to himself before being shown the exit door.
It goes to show that Wolff is conscious of the fact that a slip in form can be extremely detrimental as far as his career is concerned and the billionaire boss is still passionate about continuing his F1 legacy.
Is Wolff looking to find his successor at Mercedes?
Wolff is also part-owner of Mercedes and his vision to stay at the team is for the next 20 years, but perhaps not in the same capacity as the role he plays today.
Not only does Wolff own one-third of the company, he is also its CEO. Given his vested interest in the success of Mercedes, Wolff has been on the lookout himself for potential candidates to replace him, but has failed to find anyone with the same skillset.
Mercedes defined the word dominance during the turbo-hybrid era as the team notched up all available trophies between 2014-2020.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull completely changed the dynamics for the team after a controversial 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Since then, the Silver Arrows have struggled to establish any sort of control in F1 and although they did end last season as runners-up, they were convincingly off the pace compared to Red Bull.
Their decline has been so stark that Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have combined to win just one of the last 44 races.
Citing this, Hamilton also revealed that they took things for granted and it was their complacency that got them there. Nevertheless, Toto Wolff would want to improve things at Brackley, and for that, if he needs to give up control, he would do so without any hesitation, but he wants to do it on a high and leave a legacy.