Mercedes deny 'complete failure' as it sheds light on F1 struggles

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has denied his squad's recent run of poor form can be categorised as a “complete failure”.

Having enjoyed championship success every year from 2014 to 2021, Mercedes slipped back in the pecking order when the cars underwent a regulation change in 2022.

Although it won a handful of races, it was never able to consistently challenge for a championship.

However, Wolff has denied the title drought is being considered a major failure by the team.

“We failed to win a world championship - but it was a P2, P3, P4, P2. That is not a complete failure,” he told media including RacingNews365.

“When you look at those stats in 20 years, it looks solid and respectable.

“But obviously now and in the moment, there is nothing to be happy about because there has always been a team that was far ahead in all of those four years.”

Mercedes was able to field a competive car in certain conditions, most notably when track temperatures were low.

Offering an insight into what halted it from producing a complete package to compete at the front of the field, Wolff said: “We got off to a wrong start at the beginning. We tried to solve problem by problem. 

“Whilst peeling off and sorting out those problems, new problems occurred. And we were never able to correlate, understand.

“We had false dawns and lots of kind of theories but never one that would give us an edge to fight for a world championship. And our competitors have just done a better job.

“You look at McLaren and how we turned the car around three years ago. And then you look at the Red Bull, who had ups and downs.

“But what has happened since the summer is clearly an understanding, or at least an example of how you can find out what is not working and turning a campaign around massively. 

“We have actually never been able to do that in four years.”