Unexpected Change of Heart Saved Toto Wolff’s Mercedes Dream: “It Wasn’t a Project Anymore”

The man who once raced with a Red Bull sponsorship today is the CEO and Team Principal of the 8-time Champions Mercedes! It may sound unreal, but that’s how it has been for Toto Wolff. He did not succeed as a racer. But as a leader, the Austrian has scaled the highest of peaks in F1. Few expected Toto to make such an impact with the Silver Arrows. Yet he defied expectations to deliver 8 successive constructors’ titles. But Wolff also had doubts about what he was doing amid this successful run. He was almost on the verge of leaving Mercedes.

In a feature from The New Yorker, Toto explained how the Mercedes F1 project was a simple investment for him initially. He said, “It was always meant to be a project. It’s like my investments. You buy and you sell. The exit is the reason why I’m doing all that.”

One of his close friends revealed how the Austrian boss was once quite upset during 2019-20. He recalled, “He [Toto Wolff] was really, really upset. He was saying, ‘What shall I do? And what the hell am I doing and why?’ I told him, ‘Toto, that’s your life. You have to do it.’”

During the 2020 pandemic, Toto had an unexpected change of heart. When he decided to continue in F1, that moment perhaps saved his Mercedes dream. Toto quoted about the same, “It wasn’t a project anymore. We said, ‘We want to keep this,’ Mercedes and I.”

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Wolff had been a financier and a clever businessman. He certainly did not make a $540 million net worth by suffering investment losses. But eventually, his bond with the team was quite deep to let him just leave, taking his investment return.

How Toto Wolff is Deeply Connected with Mercedes

The emotional connection between Toto Wolff and his “investment” team Mercedes is evident on track. Whenever his team loses or suffers a setback, Toto seethes inside and does not seem happy. Being the team boss, he does not want his team to struggle in the midfield and not be the champion.

In the 2021 title battle, Wolff’s emotions unleashed in full fury. As the championship heated up, the Mercedes boss was more and more animated at every crucial moment. Toto’s reaction to Lewis Hamilton winning the Brazilian GP was hilarious.

Meanwhile, his animated reaction in Saudi Arabia to Max Verstappen crashing with Lewis was quite dramatic. Certainly, his headphones, which he smashed on the table, may have said otherwise. But, jokes apart, Wolff’s deep connection with the Silver Arrows can be seen in these moments. Even he admitted how that nerve-wracking reaction was quite premature without taking cognizance of the entire situation.

With every high and low, Toto’s emotions are directly proportional. Even in the 2022 season, when Mercedes struggled badly, the frustration was there on the team boss’s face. He would want to redeem this situation in the upcoming season.

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Time will tell if the Brackley outfit can get out of their woes to clinch a 9th championship. Although, Toto Wolff ain’t leaving Mercedes in such a dire condition for sure. The 51-year-old did not leave them when they were at their peak. So, he ain’t going anywhere regardless of any hardships.