Despite Problematic 2022 Season, Toto Wolff Dusts His Hands off Mercedes W-14 Development

It must have been a hard pill to swallow for Toto Wolff and Co. to struggle in the midfield after 8 consecutive championships. They would have never imagined such a problematic season with so many tribulations in 2022. Yet, Mercedes are capable of powering through such hiccups. Now, Toto may have stepped up as the main leader to try and take control of the technical program. But he believes that isn’t his business, as there are capable people handling the technical development for the Silver Arrows.

Speaking with the Times, Toto elaborated on how he does not wish to interfere in the technical development at Mercedes. He said, “We’ve been lucky to win eight constructors’ titles in a row, which is unprecedented. And that is due to the fact that we empower the staff here. If I started to meddle in technical decisions after such a winning streak that would be odd.” 

Wolff has been an amazing leader for the Brackley team, leading them to 8 constructors championships. Yet, the technical leadership’s contribution has also been commendable in producing some beast-like cars. Currently, James Allison is the Chief Technical Officer, and Mike Elliott is the Technical Director for Mercedes. They certainly did an amazing job turning around the W13’s performance last year.

So, Toto Wolff may feel free to dust his hands off the development of the W14 and beyond. He would rather focus on keeping the team together for the next step of their redemption and return to the top.

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Toto would be looking to keep the unnecessary noise and banter away from his team’s environment. Of course, if Mercedes challenge Red Bull again for the title, the mind games with Christian Horner may begin again.

Will we get the delayed sequel of the Mercedes vs. Red Bull Title Battle in 2023?

When the 2021 season ended, F1 commentator David Croft closed off the season in Abu Dhabi, with an iconic line. Croft cited how the sequel of this titanic battle between Mercedes and Red Bull may come in 2022. While this prediction certainly did not age well, one can hope of getting the delayed sequel in 2023.

Despite Red Bull and Max Verstappen being at a brilliant level of pace, one cannot underestimate the Silver Arrows. Even if Mercedes get their car within 0.2 seconds of Red Bull’s pace, a championship battle is possible.

The Brackley-based outfit is known for making it work over the season and developing a championship-winning car. These technical capabilities were quite evident in the 2021 title battle. The Brackley outfit probably out-developed their rivals and arguably had the faster car in the final few races of that year.

Still, given how 2022 was, it will be an uphill task for Toto Wolff and Co. to get so close to RBR. Unless, of course, the team has found a lot of gains in the off-season. If any team can get so much development in a small period of time, it is Mercedes.

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The Mercedes car will launch on February 15, 2023. But, the performance gains may become evident only when the car hits the track in Bahrain during pre-season testing. Or maybe even at the season-opening weekend in Bahrain. What do you think? Can the Brackley outfit make enough gains to challenge Red Bull?