Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, for various reasons, has been in the headlines ever since the 2021 Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi, but we at Grandprix247 are extremely disappointed with the Austrian. TeamTalk explains why...
Last season, 2021, was the first time since Mercedes have been seriously challenged in F1, and the first time Toto Wolff had to steer his team through a tempestuous season since he was at the helm of that trailblazer of a team. But we feel that his performance was underwhelming, rather disappointing so to speak.
For a person in charge of Mercedes, one would have expected, well... more...
Mark Kay: 2021 has contradicted the theory that Wolff is a great leader, he failed miserably
The role of Team Principal is the same as that of a CEO, it’s just a differently worded title. It isn’t just a management role; it is the ultimate form of leadership within the team. In F1 leadership is critical. That is, the ability to influence positive results from the business.
There is no doubt that in the years since taking over the reigns of the TP role at Mercedes in 2014, Wolff has been integral in leading the team through one of the most dominant periods in history. However, history also clearly demonstrates that what differentiates a truly great leader is their ability to lead in the face of adversity.
On that measure, 2021 has contradicted the theory that Wolff is a great leader, he failed miserably.
It isn’t necessary to pull out libraries of previous quotes in or out of context to substantiate my statement. The reality is that contrary to all the pre and early 2021 season comments made by Wolff that he and his team were anticipating and relishing the challenge of a more competitive season, 2021 was the first time during his tenure as TP that a true force had challenged them, and he clearly did not enjoy it at all.
The all too often seen images of Wolff screaming down his microphone or taking his anger out on his headset in some sort of childish tantrum probably isn’t the look I would think the Daimler board would necessarily view as good leadership, or brand management for that matter.
In my day, the top F1 teams had up to 300 staff, and back then that was massive. However, today Mercedes has a staff of over 1000 people. These guys are unique, they aren’t the normal 9-5 factory blue-collar workers you might expect; rather they are highly motivated, highly skilled, and passionate.
Forget about the Drivers Championship, that’s a touchy-feely and sometimes over-rated pursuance for many of them. The true prize for the heart and soul of an F1 team, the factory workers, is undeniably the Constructors' Championship.
It is the real reflection and measure of their performance in comparison to every other team. So, even if you’ve just won your eighth Constructors' in a row, when your TP, your leader refuses to show up as your representative at the end of season ceremony to collect the prize that you and your 999 other teammates worked so long and hard to earn, that is a real slap in the face.
Inevitably, if the Capitan of the ship takes his eyes off the sea and starts to think about his own emotions over the welfare of the men operating his ship, it might be time to replace the Capitan."
Jad Mallak: Enough already, Masi screwed up, and your driver lost the championship, so get over it
For me to say I am disappointed with Toto Wolff would be an understatement, as I am simply pissed off with his actions and conduct of late.
First the ongoing nagging and whinging about Abu Dhabi last year, and the never-ending attack on Michael Masi, and Max Verstappen on his way, and especially whenever we all thought that we might have reached a closure.
Yet Wolff manages to re-open the can of worms again, in the latest documentary Duel by Sky Sports F1's, saying he doesn't want to talk to Masi ever again, or that Mercedes didn't feel any remorse when Lewis Hamilton put Max Verstappen into the wall at Copse in Silverstone last year, justifying it by Lewis' refusal to give-in any more, was just too much to stomach.
Enough already, Masi screwed up, and your driver lost the championship, so get over it. Masi paid for his mistake with his job. It could have easily been the other way around with Max losing out and Christian Horner crying foul, so that's motorsport, if you can't take defeat, bugger off.
And accusing Masi of having a 'Bromance' with Red Bull's Jonathan Wheatley is just pathetic, and is as low as it can get, especially if you are the leader of one of the most successful F1 teams in the history of the sport. I used to have great respect to Wolff and the manner in which he built Mercedes into the juggernaut it is today, but his actions under pressure and against adversity wiped all that away.
Then him coming up and deciding that he doesn't want another team in F1, when Michael Andretti announced he was applying for an entry, is something else. Who does Wolff think he is entitled to decide who races in F1 and who doesn't? I blame Formula 1 and the FIA for this, and for not putting him in his place.
Liberty have been vocal on expanding stateside. With Miami being added to the calendar this year, and with the only American F1 team being a back-marker like Haas, that is not good enough, and a person with Andretti's credentials and pedigree should be allowed to take a shot at building a proper U.S. F1 team.
Regardless of the nationality of the team that is applying to join F1, Wolff should not be the one who decides. His vanity has become too over-bloated, and he should know that no one is bigger than the sport, not even Ferrari.
When we last reported what Wolff said about Masi (not wanting to speak to him ever again), we got many comments from readers accusing us to keep running this narrative so we could get clicks. That is far from the truth, but the fact remains that we report whatever is said whether we like it or not.
The only way to stop reporting what Wolff says about Masi, and Abu Dhabi, is by Wolff keeping silent about it for a change. After all, it was what he said and did in the aftermath of Abu Dhabi, that created all the hate and controversy which we have unfortunately experienced as sport.
With the new season upon us, we have better stuff to talk about.
Paul Velasco: Wolff's behaviour is tantamount to bringing the sport into disrepute
The reason this TeamTalk is happening is that I was going to pen an Inside Line entitled 'Why Wolff has been a very big disappointment' and found out Mark and Jad had similar ideas, so you have their take and here's mine.
First and foremost, Toto Wolff is a figure I respect enormously, a man who transformed Mercedes into the war machine that it is in F1, 15 Titles out of 16 in eight years is unprecedented in our sport and most sports for that matter.
Under his watch F1 has endured a decade of Mercedes dominance and ever-increasing excellence with Lewis Hamilton their main man. All Toto's doing, and hence from a humble guy with shares at Williams, fast forward a dozen and a half years or so, and he is the most powerful man in F1, if not all of motorsport.
A puppet-master, a star-maker and all that goes with that, including being arguably the most condescending bloke in the paddock and while having made some big careers, he is not shy to destroy them with callous remarks as he did calling Valtteri Bottas a "wingman", a moniker that will remain as the Finn's legacy forever.
And there is a lot more one could list about Wolff's shenanigans as team boss, but it was never anything more malicious than denouncing Valtteri, until last season of course when his true colours emerged. And they are not pretty.
Mercedes was challenged hard for the first time throughout 2021, and indeed beaten by Max Verstappen to the F1 Drivers' Title. Wolff howled countless times along that 22-race journey while in the other corner Red Bull's Christian Horner barked back. It was all part of the show, I guess that's what they tell themselves.
But Wolff did get malicious, even venomous when Hamilton lost in Abu Dhabi that night, Wolff howled even louder with protests and appeals that came to zero; it was ugly to report about, to be honest. He and Lewis made their point by skipping the FIA Prizegiving. Enough said.
But Wolff carried on stirring the pot, suggesting Hamilton might quit F1 and what a disservice to the sport that might be he bleated. We were not alone being fooled by the innuendo, as German media were soon on who would occupy Hamilton's car should he leave. Vettel? Bottas returns?
All the time Wolff knew Hamilton would be back and said during the team's launch: "Although you have to respect the driver is disillusioned after such events, we have a strong team and great support. So I knew that he’s going to come back."
Now that's very irresponsible, if Wolff knew Lewis was not retiring, why did he nip that narrative in the bud when it erupted around Christmas? Why wait until mid-February? Because it suited his narrative and was careless in that it stemmed a toxic wave of war between Lewis-fanboys and Max-fanboys and everyone else dragged into it whether we like it or not.
Meanwhile, Toto would've known Lewis was chilling with his mates and regrouping for another crack at an unprecedented eighth F1 Title, not wallowing in self-pity and doubts as Wolff suggested. If he felt/knew what he said he did - "Hamilton will be back" - then he was way out of line not stopping it.
As far as I am concerned allowing the rumour to fester, knowing it was unwarranted is tantamount to bringing the sport into disrepute.
Then his audacious questioning of Michael Andretti's credentials as a new F1 team owner, Wolff asking what the legendary Andrettis will bring to F1. Is he joking? He should embrace them, help them. This makes me ask does the Blood of Business in Toto flow stronger than his Racing Blood? It seems so on this evidence.
The final straw that triggered this piece was Wolff's renewed attack on Michael Masi. As I wrote before it's enough now and what does his childish taunt that "I will never ever speak to Masi ever again" achieve? What is his endgame?
I know not, but can say the respect for his splendid F1 achievements will always remain, but his behaviour is unbecoming of a man so powerful, and such influence in our sport. Truly very disappointed in Toto.
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