Toto Wolff: We took the wrong turn at a fork

Toto Wolff, head of the Mercedes team, commented on the first results of the weekend in Las Vegas and also shared his views on a number of current issues, including his opinion on the creation of the 11th team if General Motors takes on this project takes..

Q: Tell us how work on the 2026 power plant is progressing: is everything meeting your expectations?
Toto Wolff: The results meet certain expectations, and that is good. Otherwise, the intensive work continues and we strive to achieve our goals. The task is far from easy, but the question is this: have we set ourselves the right goals? That’s why we have to admit that we don’t know yet what level we are at.

Question: Continuing the conversation about expectations: during training in Las Vegas your riders are ahead of everyone, but this has already happened at other tracks, but the training ended and you rolled back. Do you think this weekend will be different?
Toto Wolff: I think we are the champions of dirt tracks. The first training always goes well, but as soon as the grip starts to improve, our results drop. At the same time, in my opinion, our advantage is quite large. Here in the first session it was bigger than during the training before. In general we have to dust the track for all tomorrow’s sessions, for qualifying, etc.

However, I don’t think such a noticeable advantage over other teams will last long. I really hope that at least we don’t end up at the back of the pack, as this has happened at some circuits in the past, but that we remain competitive and can compete on the front row.

Question: George said yesterday that you couldn’t understand the cause of the car’s problems. Perhaps these training results are the first sign that you are really making progress and approaching the level you were at in the summer when your riders were taking victories?
Toto Wolff: Yes, even though we thought so before the summer holidays, we continued to introduce new products, but it turned out that we took the wrong turn at a junction. And now it is very difficult to go back, but we are not the only team that is in a similar situation.

On the other hand, it is impossible to simply go back to the new products we presented at Silverstone, install them on the car and expect to immediately return to the forefront of the battle. It’s just that everyone else has increased by about a few tenths since then. So the more races we do, the more we fail, but the more lessons we learn. At the same time, our rivals are not sleeping.

Question: Lewis is driving excellently this weekend, but literally said after Brazil that race could be his last as part of your team. Did you ever doubt that he might not finish this season?
Toto Wolff: It has long been known about Lewis that he is a very sincere and vulnerable person. And it seems to me that that race was such a bad experience for him that such words did not even seem unusual at the time.

But he continues to work very fruitfully with our team, as there are still three races ahead of him, after which he will switch to Ferrari early next year. At the same time, I am proud that we have managed to maintain the same professional relationship. Although we understood that it would not be easy. And if you add to this the fact that some days the machine does not work well, and it turns out that we were not able to provide it with a sufficiently effective tool, although we should have.

Q: Can you comment on the GPDA’s statement about the FIA ​​president? What do you think of the way he is leading this organization? Are you satisfied with his work, the decisions he makes? Do you trust him?
Toto Wolff: I have to choose my words carefully, otherwise Frederic Wasser and I would have been called to the stewards last year. Can I exercise my right not to answer this question given last year’s experience? No?..

You see, together with our sport we are in a very privileged position, we attract people’s attention, including young audiences. Our teams perform in front of stands full of fans and countless sponsors show interest in Formula 1. And we must ensure that, by joining forces, we all follow a common course and handle our common product with great care.

Are you satisfied with this answer? I believe that all interested parties, especially people who make decisions, should remember that we are all responsible for our sport, that we need stability. This is how I personally see it.

Q: It is said that the Andretti Global project is undergoing significant restructuring and the creation of an eleventh team will be announced soon. Has your opinion on this topic changed?
Toto Wolff: As a business leader, it is my responsibility to take the position that is most beneficial to our company and our employees – and that is exactly what we have done in the past. I think if a new team adds value to the entire championship, especially if General Motors decides to create a full factory team, it will be a different story.

And if these people show creativity, if the popularity of our sport grows, as does the revenue, then none of the teams will mind. Overall, I hope so.

But still no one from Andretti or Andretti Global – or whatever it’s called? – never told me a word about their creative approach.

However, they are not obliged to do so because the decisions are not made by the teams. This is the prerogative of the commercial rights owner together with the FIA, and we have no right to speak here. We can only express our opinions, and that’s what I’m doing now.

By the way, I don’t know the people behind the Andretti project. Of course I once spoke to Mario Andretti. We have not communicated with his son. And since I haven’t spoken to any of those people, I don’t know who they are. And I know General Motors. GM is a great company.