Wolff would like to “slap himself” after Mercedes’ poor performance in Australia

Mercedes would it be close to a crisis situation? After three Grands Prix, the optimism of the first days has given way to fatalism, worry and above all, doubt. The W15 does not meet expectations, far from it, in terms of performance and the Australian Grand Prix was a new demonstration of the powerlessness of the German clan in the face of its presumed rivals, which are Red Bull, Ferrari ou McLaren.

A glaring lack of rhythm in Melbourne, both on the flying lap exercise and on the long stints, accompanied by errors and bad luck for both drivers. For the first time since 62 Grands Prix, no Mercedes finished in the points... since no Mercedes finished at all (engine failure for Hamilton, accident for Russell)! An extremely rare double retirement among the Silver Arrows, since we have to go back to the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix to see no car German on arrival…

A situation “difficult to take” for Wolff and Mercedes

Result of the races: with only 26 units, Mercedes is already relegated to 71 points behind Red Bull, 67 behind Ferrari, and even finds itself behind McLaren in the Constructors' championship. For comparison, at the same time in 2023, Mercedes had 56 points and McLaren… only 12. A totally unexpected regression in the German clan, which expected to return to the front with its Mercedes W15 after two laborious seasons. Toto wolff, emblematic director of the Mercedes team, admitted that the situation was “difficult to take”, especially after these last two campaigns.

“I would be lying if I said that at any moment I feel positive and optimistic. But you have to overcome negative thoughts and tell yourself that you are going to get back on track. Today it's very, very brutal, recognizes the Austrian leader. We started this season thinking this car was better than last year. Last year [in Australia] (…) McLaren was 17th, 18th, 19th, and [now] they are 40 seconds ahead of us. Obviously, on the one hand, I want to slap myself. On the other hand, it's also a testament that when you do things right, you can turn things around pretty quickly. We just have to keep believing. But right now it's a very difficult time. »

“We didn’t become stupid after the 2021 season”

After two years of failure, far from the performances displayed by Red Bull and Ferrari, Mercedes cannot afford to experience another season lurking in the shadow of its two rivals. But then, where does the problem come from? An organization like Mercedes can't crash three times in a row without there being a wolf somewhere... and yet Toto Wolff still says the team's problem lies in understanding their car rather than in the organization. The Austrian continues to believe he is the right man for the role of team principal.

“As a co-owner of this business, I must ensure that my contribution is positive and creative, confided Toto Wolff. So I'll be the first to say that if anyone has a better idea, please let me know, because I'm interested in turning this team around as quickly as possible. And I'll be happy to give my opinion and see what it might be or who it might be. »

“We have a physical problem, not a philosophical or organizational problem, because we did not become stupid after the 2021 season, he added, referring to the last Manufacturers' championship title and the three years that followed. It's just that we don't understand certain behaviors of the car, which in the past we would always have understood. » That time already seems long ago, when Mercedes outrageously dominated the Formula 1 without ever being worried...

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