Toto Wolff has “changed mindset” amid Mercedes F1 recovery struggles.
Toto Wolff says he has a new "mindset" as Mercedes' F1 recovery effort continues.
13 Mar 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Toto Wolff says his mindset has changed amid Mercedes' ongoing F1 recovery struggles. Wolff remains “100%” convinced his team can - and will - turn things around. “I've changed my mindset,” Wolff explained. “I don't think that additional pressure on all of us makes it better.

“I think we have a problem with the physics. It is not by lack of trying or by the mindset or the motivation or energies. All of that is there, and I can see the buzz in the organisation. As racers, when we have such [disappointing] results, you're feeling down, but we're trying to change that with the right motivation for the week that comes.”

“That's why we are believing that we can turn this around. We believe that our organisation can dig ourselves out. I'm 100% sure we can.” Wolff revealed in Saudi Arabia that Mercedes are facing a “fundamental” issue with their new W15 car that is hampering its performance in high-speed corners.

“I think we have a problem with the physics”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104560...very-struggles


Wolff opens up on loss of key Mercedes ally
Jerome D’Ambrosio is set to leave Mercedes and link up with rivals Ferrari, marking another key exit from the Brackley-based squad.
14 March 7:20PM
Fergal Walsh & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has responded to the pending departure of another major ally at his squad. RacingNews365 revealed earlier this month that Jerome D’Ambrosio will leave Mercedes to join rivals Ferrari. Speaking to media regarding the D'Ambrosio situation, including RacingNews365, Wolff stated: “I think he’s with us at the moment. The situation is more for personal reasons, that he’s evaluating the options of what to do. I think it’s something he should speak about but all is good. We’ll see where that goes.”

Despite losing some key figures over the last year, including Strategy Director James Vowles and Chief Technical Officer Mike Elliot, Wolff reiterated his confidence that Mercedes will recover to the front of the field. “It’s a different confidence that I have in the group this time around because, at a certain stage, you’re basically ticking all the boxes of the unknown,” he said.

“Where we are today, it’s pretty clear where it points to. It’s just my feeling that we will come out on top. Is this good enough to beat Max in a Red Bull? No, it’s not. But at least bringing ourselves back in a position of fighting for podiums and being right there, (I am) 100 per cent sure we’re going to get there.”

“We’ll see where that goes”;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-reac...rcedes-f1-ally


Toto Wolff addresses speculation over losing key Mercedes ally to Ferrari
Toto Wolff has addressed speculation linking Jerome d'Ambrosio with Ferrari.
15 Mar 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Toto Wolff has addressed speculation that Jerome d'Ambrosio will leave Mercedes for Ferrari. The former Virgin and Lotus F1 driver has been heavily linked with a switch to Ferrari, following Lewis Hamilton.

D’Ambrosio has been part of Mercedes’ senior management since last year, acting as a stand-in for Wolff as team principal at the Japanese and Qatar races in 2023. His role has been centred around driver development, however, it looks like the Belgian could be off to Ferrari.

‘Speculation addressed’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104565...s-ally-ferrari


Toto Wolff’s latest W15 admission with ‘bigger factor’ emerging after Jeddah disappointment
14 Mar 2024 5:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff alarmingly claims the W15 struggling in high-speed goes beyond rear wing setup, with their downforce calculations not matching what happens on the track.

After engine overheating issued had hamstrung Mercedes in the Bahrain F1 2024 season opener, the hope was for much better at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, though that did not come to pass for the eight-time Constructors’ champions.

The W15 has been exposed as a challenger lacking downforce and therefore pace through high-speed corners, a weakness which cost them in Saudi Arabia as George Russell managed only P6 and Lewis Hamilton P9. And speaking to media after the race, Wolff knocked back the suggestion that Mercedes’ rear wing being too skinny was the source of their problems, stressing that there is a bigger issue at play here which, worryingly, they do not yet understand.

‘W15 struggling’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...wnforce-issues


Mercedes facing 'fundamental issue' with W15 - Wolff
The team struggled through high-speed corners in Saudi Arabia and could only manage sixth and ninth in the race.
11 March 8:10AM
Jake Nichol & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Toto Wolff has admitted that Mercedes is facing a "fundamental" problem with its W15 Formula 1 car. "There is only so much you can tune here, our simulations point us in a direction, to a set-up range that we can choose, you put the right rear-wing on and I think you gain a few tenths if you get it right or wrong," Wolff told media including RacingNews365.

"There's not a massive corridor of performance, it is a more fundamental thing [that we are struggling with] as we believe that the speed so should be, we can more the downforce, but we can't find it on the laptop. It's been two years that there is something which we ned to spot and that will be the thing to unlock.”

"It is not by a lack of trying, we push hard and we are going to give it a massive push in the next week or two with more data to understand to come back in Melbourne stronger. This is a mission we are on and I am 100% certain we are going to unlock that performance. The big factor is that we are lacking in the high-speed [corners] and we are just real weak. We are missing downforce beyond the steps that you would have with a bigger rear-wing.”

'Fundamental issue with W15’;

https://racingnews365.com/mercedes-f...with-w15-wolff


Toto Wolff’s early Australian GP prediction as Mercedes chase ‘fundamental change’
11 Mar 2024 10:30 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Toto Wolff concedes Mercedes are missing “something” when it comes to unlocking the potential of their F1 car, and they’ve been looking for “two years” already. But the Mercedes boss is “100% sure” that the team can unlock performance as soon as the next race: the Australian Grand Prix on March 24.

He refuted suggestions Mercedes had been too confident that they had made the right steps with the 2024 car. “I think we had so many unknowns in the last year where we start ‘okay this could be a reason, and this could be a reason, and this could be a reason’ and we fix that,” he said. “I can see from the sensors that we have what we needed.”

“But there is still this behaviour of the car in a certain speed range that the sensors and simulation say this is where we should have the downforce and we are not having it. This team has not been overconfident. We were probably the other way around and see the glass half empty always. That is the attitude to fix it.”

‘W15: Unlocking the potential’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...ian-grand-prix


Toto Wolff 'enters negotiations' with Lewis Hamilton successor as Mercedes plan made clear
Toto Wolff has taken the next step on the road to naming Lewis Hamilton's successor with the seven-time world champion heading to Ferrari.
12:12, Wed, Mar 13, 2024
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Negotiations are reportedly underway between Mercedes and Carlos Sainz with the Spaniard seen as a strong option to replace Lewis Hamilton, who is succeeding him at Ferrari for the 2025 season and beyond.

Sainz has been an impressive contributor to Ferrari’s on-track success since joining from McLaren just over three years ago, but his time with the Scuderia is set to end when the 2024 season comes to a close in Abu Dhabi. While Sauber has been touted as a possible destination, the 29-year-old will hope to drive for a frontrunning team. Mercedes, meanwhile, are in need of a replacement for Hamilton, who is leaving the team after an iconic partnership spanning 12 years.

With the early signs suggesting that teenage starlet Kimi Antonelli will not be ready to make the jump in 2025, Sainz is a compelling option for the Silver Arrows. According to a report from the Italian news outlet Corriere Dello Sport, talks between Toto Wolff’s outfit and Sainz’s entourage have already begun. The Spaniard was struck down with appendicitis at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and couldn’t race, but that did leave his team able to meet with Mercedes officials in the paddock.

‘Toto Wolff enters negotiations';

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...es-replacement