Mercedes Boss Opens Up on Tragic Childhood Experience That Left a “Humiliating” Scar for Life

Toto Wolff‘s stint at the helm of Mercedes can simply be described by the statistics. 7 drivers’ titles and 8 constructors’ championships later, Wolff has arguably dominated the team principal scene in the sport. Even though the Austrian has a racing legacy to his name, the success he’s achieved with Silver Arrows could be whittled down to sheer business acumen and a knack for excellent man-management.

Now a 1/3rd stakeholder of one of F1’s biggest brands, Wolff had a very humble and torrid beginning. To be exact, there was one defining moment in his early childhood that paved the way for him to first begin as an opportunistic candle seller to make ends meet, and then go on to dominate the sport and business of Formula 1.

In an interview with The Times, Wolff revealed the moment life gave him a humbling shock. He said, “I think the key moment was the tragic loss of my father from brain cancer when I was 15. He was terminally ill for ten years, so basically all throughout my childhood. And the financial hardship was related to this. That had the biggest impact on me as a person.”

This had a tremendous impact on Wolff. And the consequences of this led to a few humiliating experiences. “I remember that we were taken out of class when I was 14 because the school fees were not paid, so we were sent home. How do you explain in the tram back home why you had to leave after lunchbreak? It was quite a humiliating experience.”

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Luckily for Wolff, he has other battles to focus on now. But what exactly led to the Austrian’s foray into the world of motorsport?

How Toto Wolff worked his way up to Mercedes F1?

It’s no secret that racing drivers have to climb up the steep motoring rung before they the zenith; F1. However, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had a career that had a few diversions. But eventually, the long and winding road led to Formula 1.

In an interview for UBS, Wolff explained his path to F1. He said, “A driving career that was very short, but ignited my passion for the sport. A private equity career that was completely detached from motor-racing for 10 years and then investments in various teams brought me back to a third career which merged two fields of business and sport.”

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There have been a few team bosses over the years in F1 that have appropriated the status of a legend. Toto Wolff surely makes that list. But where does Wolff rank amongst the current and past roster of team bosses in F1 for you?