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Toto Wolff

Toto Wolff issues 'never excelled' admission over major Mercedes problem

Toto Wolff has conceded Mercedes "never excelled" during the contemporary ground-effects era in F1.

Wolff Austria
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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has delivered a frank assessment of his team's struggles since the introduction of ground-effect regulations in 2022, admitting the Silver Arrows has fundamentally failed to master the current ruleset.

After winning eight consecutive constructors' championships between 2014 and 2021, the team has struggled to recapture its previous heights.

The contrast with their hybrid-era dominance could hardly be starker, a period where Lewis Hamilton claimed six drivers' titles and the team was virtually unbeatable.

Yet since ground-effect aerodynamics returned, Mercedes has found itself fighting for podiums rather than victories.

The W13 of 2022 was plagued by severe porpoising issues; the W14 remained inconsistent throughout 2023; and the W15 failed to deliver sustained competitiveness.

It is a similar tale of the W16, which has taken only one victory - courtesy of George Russell - 14 rounds into the current campaign.

"I think we never excelled at managing those regulations," Wolff told Formula.hu, in a damning indictment of their approach.

"From the beginning, and I think we started on quite a back foot. And then catching up to great competitors is very difficult."

'We literally killed it...'

Wolff's comments highlight Mercedes' fundamental misunderstanding of the new regulations from the outset.

The team's initial focus on their 'zeropod' design philosophy proved to be a dead end, forcing them into a costly development cycle that consumed precious time and resources while rivals like Red Bull and McLaren stole a march.

Still, Wolff was keen to point out moments where Mercedes has shown flashes of its former capabilities.

"But I will also be looking back at many highlights," the Austrian added. "You know how we literally killed it last year in Silverstone, last victory for Lewis at the British Grand Prix. Dominant in Spa, absolutely dominant in Las Vegas.

"They were great highlights - and this year in Montreal. We had, at times, a winning car.

"And now for the second part of this year, we need to come back to have a winning car."

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