Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says this year’s disappointing Formula 1 campaign was less painful than losing the title in Abu Dhabi last year.
The German automaker has just finished the first season since 2013 in which it has not won at least one world championship.
Wolff says that despite the fact that 2022 didn’t live up to expectations and had its fair share of problems with the tricky W13, it was much easier to deal with than the contentious way Mercedes let Lewis Hamilton lose the drivers’ championship a year ago.
When Motorsport.com asked Wolff which of the last two seasons was more difficult, he responded, Without a doubt, because the previous year was successful. And the way it ended, we were aware that that was the end in a matter of seconds.
It is out of hand; beyond your control. And for the first time since I was a teenager, I lost control. In fairness, that was in direct opposition to my values.
Wolff believes that it has been simpler to acknowledge things this year on the grounds that the absence of execution has been completed with its own liability.
He continued, “This year was not as peaky, in terms of the emotions, because we knew from the start that the car was just not good enough.”
I believe we gradually but surely comprehended it. We’d peel off one layer of onion and think we’d solved the problem; however, the next layer would appear.
“Then we began to correlate the potential performance areas of this car, which was really not good. We also tried to focus on these tracks because we knew that the harder ones, like Abu Dhabi, were, in a way, damage limits.
Thus, it was our fault. Abu Dhabi wasn’t our fault last year. We were aware of our error. We are aware that other people did a better job. In addition, this season’s conclusion demonstrates an absolute meritocracy. So that’s fine.
Exceptional Hamilton Hamilton failed to win a grand Prize for the first time since joining Formula One in 2007.
Even though he ended his streak and finished the year 35 points behind teammate George Russell, Wolff believes that Hamilton’s greatest accomplishments have stalled.
Wolff elaborated, “I think he’s been really, really good this year.”A world champion who has lost his title would normally enter the ring and attempt to destroy everyone. But we didn’t give him a car that was good enough for that.
“On days when it was difficult for him, he has held us up at times with his low energy level, up there in the briefing room.
“I don’t think that that particular [win] record matters a lot. It’s more about getting the ship ready for the next season.
The partnership with George was excellent, and they worked together to develop the automobile.
“It was extraordinary for me to know him [Hamilton] from a personal and human perspective for ten years.
exceptional, surpassing all of his car performances. His mindset and attitude this year were outstanding, in my opinion.