Toto Wolff 'in two minds' over 'painful' Mercedes reality

Toto Wolff is torn on how he feels about Mercedes' 2025 F1 campaign, admitting that it "just wasn't good enough" from the Brackley-based squad.

Despite finishing runner-up in the constructors' standings, with George Russell securing nine podiums, including two victories, and rookie Kimi Antonelli chipping in a further three, the team principal was dissatisfied with failing to compete for either title.

Mercedes' customer McLaren blew away the opposition, comfortably winning the championship. The papaya team clinched the title at the Singapore Grand Prix — with six rounds to run — and by a comfortable 364 points.

Although Mercedes jumped from fourth in 2024 to second, it only scored one more point, advantaged by the relative decline of Ferrari and the non-Max Verstappen side of the Red Bull garage.

When reflecting on the campaign, Wolff expressed his contrasting feelings towards the final year of the contemporary ground effects era.

"I'm a little bit in two minds," the 53-year-old said in his team's end-of-season review. "Because, in 10 years, you look back at the stats and you can see vice world champion, P2.

"But the reality is that we didn't achieve our goals. We want to win, we want to win races, we want to be in the hunt for a world championship and hopefully win, and we didn't.

"And that is the pain of the moment, that it just wasn't good enough."

A power unit repeat?

2026 will see sweeping regulations changes in F1, with all new chassis rules significantly altering the aerodynamics of the cars.

Mercedes has struggled to get on top of the intricate and crucial balance between conventional aerodynamics and the ground effects of the floor over the past four years, something that should give the team reason for optimism moving forward.

And F1 is also overhauling its power unit regulations, for the first time since 2014. Mercedes — and, by extension, the teams it supplied — stole a march on the opposition then, winning successive eight constructors' championships before the chassis regulations changes for 2022.

Whilst there is heavy speculation that the team is well positioned to again capitalise on the new engine rules, Wolff was keen to underline the success his team enjoyed over the original turbo-hybrid era.

"We had a very successful spell over those years," the Austrian said. "We won eight championships, but we had difficult years that followed.

"And so this one era ends, an era that we will be looking back on with a lot of positive memories, mostly positive memories."

With the electrical output increasing considerably — from 20% to a 50/50 split with conventional combustion power — Wolff believes there is a "fascinating" future ahead for F1.

"But now we are starting in the real hybrid era," he added. "We are driving 50% electric engines, with sustainable fuel, and that almost pops — gives it one notch of innovation more.

"And I just came out of the simulator watching the car drive; it's going to be fascinating."