Toto Wolff: I’m always pessimistic

In preparation for the next season, Mercedes analyzed the reasons for the end of a long dominance – Ferrari in the first half of the 2000s and Red Bull from 2010 to 2013, so as not to repeat this experience. But Toto Wolff is still not sure that the team will be able to return to the title fight soon.

Toto Wolff: “We analyzed why in the past the teams that dominated an entire era suddenly lost speed. Factors can always be followed – the rules change, people leave, switch bands.

In the case of Ferrari, for example, they lost all top management and an important driver. Red Bull failed to get a competitive power plant after changing engine regulations.

In our case, we made a mistake when switching to the new scheme, but all other strengths were retained. The year turned out to be extremely difficult, but I believe that this crisis was necessary to re-motivate the team, to breathe new energy.

We have won the Constructors’ Championship eight times in a row and won over a hundred races. And this defeat made us put our feet on the ground, reevaluate the value of victory when we won in Brazil, understand how difficult it is to recover from failure.

Hopefully, in a few years, we’ll look back and say, “It was absolutely necessary.” My perspective isn’t one season or two, my perspective is ten years where we can look back and say, “We always argued.”

This year we looked good at times. We have ten or more stages. We won the race, won the winning double. We were the third strongest team. It deserves respect.

I am always pessimistic. I am one of those who believe that the glass is half empty. I never feel that the work we’ve done is enough. I’m not at all sure if we can return to the title fight – we have very strong opponents. But we will do everything in our power, set ourselves the highest goals and try to achieve them.