Toto Wolff: I’m back! – all Formula 1 2023 news

Mercedes team leader Toto Wolff missed two stages due to knee surgery, but in Austin he said he had the situation under control at that point too…

Question: Toto, welcome back. Nice to see you racing again. How do you feel?
Toto Wolff: Everything is fine. I had surgery to replace the ligaments. It’s hard to walk, but it’s okay.

Q: Are your marathon days behind you?
Toto Wolff: No, I have to wait six months and then I’ll start running again.

Q: Tell us about the two races you missed. How aware were you of what was happening on the track?
Toto Wolff: I was fully aware of it. I have a simulated pit wall at home with all the control and communications equipment; I participated in all briefings and radio communications during the race. But of course it was necessary to give the boys the opportunity to lead – when you are at a distance you always have to take a step back. I can’t say that I like it, but such a need arose.

Q: In the two races you missed – in Japan and Qatar – emotions sometimes got out of hand. How do you rate these two races?
Toto Wolff: Let’s say that unpleasant situations have arisen. We lost points that we shouldn’t have lost, but the drivers understand this very well. Sometimes such moments are necessary to rebuild and prevent recurrence in the future.

But these are racers, they grew up in conditions of fierce competition. Your teammate is your biggest rival, so I took it easy. And I returned.

Question: You have prepared a new ground for this weekend. What did the riders say?
Toto Wolff: Lewis showed a good time, but you cannot say that the car suddenly became very fast. There are certain areas in which he feels more comfortable. George, on the other hand, was dissatisfied with the car’s behavior.

Question: This is the 200th race with hybrid turbo engines, of which your team has won 112. What do you think of this power source?
Toto Wolff: Thank you for giving me this number. Yes, an amazing achievement made possible by the work of Brixworth engineers. Our power plant immediately proved to be incredibly competitive. Our engines and chassis have not let us down, except for the 2022 season.

More than 50% wins are great, although winning has become more difficult lately. Let’s see if we can win races with the current regulations.

Question: Given the problems with drivers feeling unwell due to the heat in Qatar, should the FIA ​​intervene and determine the maximum temperature in the cockpit, placement of electronic units, etc.?
Toto Wolff: For me this was the most extreme situation in terms of heat load for the riders. There will be people who will say, “This is their job.” To some extent this is true. You have to be prepared for such situations, but this time everything was too extreme. Most riders were unanimous in their opinion that this should not happen. We have to find a common solution with the FIA ​​​​and the drivers.

Q: You’ve probably heard the phrase that if there’s no cat in the house, the mice rule. During your absence in the last two races, the team’s riders stuck out their elbows and found themselves in unpleasant situations. Do you think there is a connection here?
Toto Wolff: No, I don’t think so… We laughed about it as a team too, but I don’t think it had any effect. It’s just that now they’re fighting in the group of leaders. Well, now I’m back!

Question: Zac Brown spoke about the Grand Prix in South Africa, many other countries dream of a national podium. There are 24 races on next season’s calendar, and in accordance with the Agreement of Concord we can hold a maximum of 25. But is it worth it? Have you thought about alternating races between tracks?
Toto Wolff: Twenty-four races is already a lot, but if there is another good platform that contributes to the expansion of the calendar, we will find a way to add it to the calendar.

We have already organized rotations and shifts within the team. It is clear that we cannot change drivers and racing engineers, but in this situation it is no longer so important how many stages there are – 24 or 25. But it is important that they are held on different continents. I think FOM is doing this well.

Question: The FIA ​​​​has increased the maximum fines in Formula 1 to 1 million euros. Is there concern that this will lead to a significant increase in fines? Has the FIA ​​explained the reasons for this decision?
Toto Wolff: Of course there must be deterrents for serious violations of regulations, but one million euros is a very serious amount.

I don’t think riders have ever been punished with the maximum fine under the previous limit – 250 thousand euros. We need to understand why it was necessary to set the bar so high.

Half of the teams will not be able to pay the million dollar fine. I don’t think this is enough. Plus, these kinds of numbers seem surreal to people watching.