Toto Wolff has officially signed a new contract to extend his tenure as the Mercedes AMG-Petronas Team Principal until the end of the 2026 season.
He first came into the role in 2013, transferring from Williams. Shortly after, in 2014 the team began its 7-year-long dominance, winning both the Constructors’ Championships in all these seasons as well as Lewis Hamilton equaling Schumacher’s record of 7 Drivers’ Championships. The winning streak was ended in 2021 by Red Bull, and since that time concerns have been raised about Wolff’s future in the team principal position, with rumors swirling about potential shifts in his role or even a departure from the team, even though it is stated that his contract doesn’t include any performance clauses. His role isn’t limited to the team principal though; he holds a third of the Mercedes Team and is a board member. His success in leading the team to victory is sometimes argued to be mostly “inherited” and that Mercedes was already on track to success anyway.
In his own opinion, as well as the INEOS’ chief executive Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ola Kallenius, Mercedes-Benz chairman, Wolff remains the best candidate for the position. "I'm not going to try to hang on to a position that I think somebody is going to do better than me," Wolff assured.
This decision comes after the end of another difficult year for the Mercedes Team. With only two victories in the last three years, conversations are surrounding their plan for not repeating the disappointment of the last seasons. Struggling to bring the Mercedes car to standards set by Red Bull’s dominance, he simply states “The sport, this is a meritocracy, whoever is doing the best job wins, and if someone is doing a much better job than everybody else, then they’re winning 19 races”.
Wolff’s ambitions are not limited to just not repeating their mistakes though; he believes that the team still has a chance at giving Hamilton a car capable of taking him to his 8th Drivers’ Championship. “If we are able to give him a car that he actually feels, that drives in a way that he can trust, he will be on the level that’s needed to win the championship. Thirty-nine is no age,” Toto said.
With the start of the coming season fast approaching, surely all eyes will be on Mercedes and their efforts to close the gap to Red Bull. The first factor that might give some perspective on Mercedes’ chances in 2024 might be the reveal of the new car planned for 14 February.
Comments