Toto Wolff Could Quit Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton’s Exit Creates “Complicated” Situation

When McLaren’s 2023 car – the MCL60 turned out to be the definition of ‘slow’, then-Team Principal Zak Brown’s competency was questioned. Similarly, in 2024, the Mercedes garages are in unrest. Toto Wolff and the Technical team haven’t been able to figure out over 2-year-old regulations to make their car faster. With their 7-time champion Lewis Hamilton leaving, things have gone from bad to worse.

This poor situation made Wolff question his role and responsibilities after the double DNF in Australia last weekend. He said he looks at himself in the mirror every day and asks the “fair question” of staying as the Team Principal of the Silver Arrows. With his good friend Hamilton already out, is it time for him to switch paths too?

Tom Clarkson sparked the discussion of Wolff’s exit in the latest F1 Nation podcast. Guest host and Spanish Journalist Jesus Balseiro replied saying that with Lewis Hamilton already gone and the leadership constantly faltering, Toto Wolff’s exit could be a possibility.

“If Mercedes wasn’t the most successful team in the last 15 years, of course, it would be a completely different scenario,” Balseiro said. “But yes, Mercedes is in a very complicated situation. They are losing their champion for next year. The car is obviously not responding to whatever they see in the wind tunnel. Ferrari and even McLaren are proving that it’s not impossible to perform, to get closer to Red Bull, even in these regulations.”

“So Mercedes is not getting it right and at some point, you have to make changes,” the Spaniard continued. “Last year they brought back James Allison for a strong role. But if the car is not getting closer to Red Bull. It has to happen because these regulations are getting older and the cars tend to converge. If Mercedes is not able to do it and some other teams are doing it, there has to be a problem. They have to point it out and sort it out.“

It is a shame to witness a team win 8 straight championships only to suffer miserably as new regulations come in. Sadly, Wolff is of the same opinion.

Toto Wolff says Mercedes’ 8 consecutive Championships no longer matter

Lewis Hamilton shattered a ton of records in the turbo-hybrid era. He won 6 Drivers’ championships and 8 Constructors’ championships with Toto Wolff and Mercedes. But come 2022, all of Mercedes’ efforts fell flat and continue to do so. This had made Wolff give himself a reality check.

“We introduced new regulations two years ago, which are not so new anymore, and we are struggling,” the Austrian told Fox Sports Australia. “We won eight times in a row, but you can’t count on that. It’s been more difficult years and Red Bull is very much at the top and then it’s a gang of Ferrari, McLaren, and maybe ourselves,” he added.

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Is this the beginning of the Mercedes’ great collapse?