“Too Opportunistic”: Mercedes Supremo Toto Wolff’s Leadership Skills Steal the Show Despite George Russell’s Maiden F1 Victory

Toto Wolff has been ever present since Mercedes took hold of the turbo hybrid era of F1. In his lifetime, he’s only been away for a couple of races in his 10 years with the Silver Arrows. But on that one day that he couldn’t make it, Mercedes registered probably their most satisfying victories in F1 to date.

You’d be well within your rights to assume that the Austrian boss would’ve been gutted to miss such an important milestone in the team’s history. After a torrid opening half of the 2022 season, the Silver Arrows and George Russell fought hard and finally got that well-deserved victory for all the toiling. But this is where you see why Toto Wolff is the greatest team principal in F1 history.

On the Beyond the Grid podcast, host Tom Clarkson asked Wolff whether he was tempted to take a flight to Sao Paulo when he realized Mercedes could actually win.

Wolff replied, “No, that would have been too late and too opportunistic! They made it there without my involvement. I was tempted on the Thursday making like a last-minute jump over the ocean.” 

But he decided otherwise. “Because it is always about me and the drivers. We are given interviews, we stand in the spotlight. We’re taking all the credit for the things that are done by others. And me not being there was a sense of pride…me not taking the sunshine away.”

Read More: Mercedes F1 Boss Toto Wolff Willing to Risk It All to Get Back in the Fight Against Red Bull: “I Believe in the Organization”

This was just one aspect of the multi-layered personality that is Toto Wolff. He’s clearly been a driving factor in ensuring that Mercedes scales the heights in Formula 1 as it has, both as a team and as a brand. But what really sets him apart as the crème de la crème of F1?

An insight into Toto Wolff and his management philosophy

You don’t lead a team as far as Wolff has led Mercedes by sheer dumb luck. He’s been a pillar around which the Silver Arrows have crafted their history in the sport. But there’s much more to the Austrian than just acute business and racing acumen.

Wolff was quoted by his own team as saying, “Appreciation is an essential part in every respect – and this is also true for us as a team. It is very important on a professional level in order to achieve the goals we have set together. On the other hand, you also need empathy in order to respect the fact that everyone has their own personal opinion.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Lewis Hamilton: Ranking His F1 World Titles From 2008 to 2020

Under Wolff’s tutelage, can the Silver Arrows turn their fortunes around a fight for the championship next year?