When we talk about Ayrton Senna, we usually think of how his Formula 1 career has inspired and will inspire generations of motorsport drivers for years to come. His racing prowess, driver skillset, and the accolades he amassed in the 10 years he drove in the pinnacle of motorsport are what made him the great driver he was and made him an idol for young drivers just getting into their stride. But we rarely ever talk about the effect his tragic death had on young drivers. Unfortunately for Toto Wolff, he was one of the young drivers who was more affected by his death than by his greatness.

Toto Wolff, as we know him today, is Mercedes’ Team Principal & has been incredibly successful for the past decade. Although it’s a lesser-known fact that before he got into a managerial role in motorsport, the Austrian was an aspiring young gun who wanted to race in F1 himself. But the week of 1st May 1994 changed the entire trajectory he had planned out for his future. Ayrton Senna’s death at the San Marino GP after his crash at Tamburello was the catalyst for it.

In an interview with BBC’s Desert Island Discs, Wolff was asked why his racing career didn’t work out. He replied, “In 1994 when I was actually at the peak of my junior career, Ayrton Senna died. And two days earlier, an Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger. And the following weekend, in the Monaco Grand Prix, another Austrian got very, very injured. And my sponsor, who in a way looked after all of us, said, ‘I can’t do it anymore.’ And that was the killer for me. I knew that without his financial support, it wouldn’t go.”

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As an Austrian himself, as well as someone who looked up to Senna, those series of events were traumatic for him. Even more so for his sponsor, which is why Toto had no option but to give up on his dream. Considering he’s now one of the most successful team principals in F1, you would think he came from a background that taught him everything he needed to know. But that’s not the case.

Toto Wolff opens up about his humble beginnings

The past 10 years have solidified Toto Wolff as a force to reckon with in F1. He made Mercedes the team it is today, which helped him become a billionaire, who’s now worth $1.6 billion. But his young life wasn’t smooth sailing. In the BBC interview, Wolff revealed, “We went into a small apartment. There were moments where my sister and I had to leave school in the afternoon because the tuition fees were not paid. So how do you explain to your friends that you have to pack your bags and go home? How do you explain that to your 10-year-old sister in the tram? And I have these moments in my mind so strongly, it’s like an imprint.”

As the years passed, he finally made his way into motorsport. Even though he didn’t do it as a driver, he still got there. Toto also shared an anecdote about his first interaction with racing in general. “We were invited by a friend to watch him racing in Formula 3, which is a junior series. I ended up on the track and… walking onto the grid, this is where [I felt] this massive explosion within me, and it was clear – this is what I wanted to do. “

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What do you think of Toto Wolff’s story?