Toto Wolff hands Mercedes drivers fierce warning: 'I’m going to be ruthless'

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has stated he will be “ruthless” with his approach to his F1 drivers if they attempt to put their own interests before the team's.

Wolff has been at the helm of the Mercedes squad since 2013 and oversaw one of the most successful periods in F1 history, winning eight consecutive constructors' championships from 2014 to 2021.

The team currently employs George Russell and Kimi Antonelli as its drivers and is partaking in its first season without Lewis Hamilton since 2012.

Having enjoyed great success with Hamilton in the 2010s, Wolff asserted his success stemmed from being a team player.

“I believe that the best ones also have social intelligence, emotional intelligence,” Wolff told Bloomberg Hot Pursuit.

“They know how to manoeuvre a paddock. They are career-driven and focused - but they are not selfish.

“Lewis Hamilton is a fantastic team player and he's been the most successful of all time.

“Michael Schumacher was able to assemble a team around him [at Ferrari] and be hugely successful.

“So you see that with the best - talent and ambition, but also consciousness that it doesn't all revolve around yourself.”

Toto Wolff warns over 'ruthless' action

Wolff's team-first attitude is a mindset Wolff has instilled at Mercedes since taking over a leadership role at the Brackley-based squad.

It has unwavered throughout its success-filled years and its difficulties of late, as the Austrian promised harsh consequences for any driver who oversteps the mark.

“There are other people who are part of your success,” Wolff continued. 

“And how I've been managing this from the first day that I've been in Formula 1 is that I make no difference between the two drivers and the rest of the company.

“I’ve been telling them that there are 2,500 superstars in this team. Whether they work in the machine shop, in the cleaning, in aerodynamics or driving the car, I'm not going to treat you any differently than any of the other people.

“If you are selfish and you put our joint success at risk, or you damage our brand, then I'm going to be ruthless about it. You have no part in this team.”

Wolff added that his drivers have never had an issue understanding the approach.

“That philosophy has worked because our drivers have understood that, they respect that,” Wolff said.

“They care that everybody you know is part of the success, and they realise that when they crash into each other, people can't pay their mortgages because they don’t earn their bonuses.”