Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff has highlighted the US Grand Prix from last October as the team’s standout race, even in the face of Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification from the event.
The seven-time world champion’s removal stemmed from his car failing a post-race inspection due to an excessively worn floor plank, a fate shared by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Wolff acknowledged that it might appear paradoxical to designate a race where their driver faced disqualification as their best.
However, Wolff justified the selection based on the team’s overall performance in Austin, specifically highlighting the introduction of a new floor for the W14 during that weekend, which significantly enhanced its aerodynamic efficiency.
During Saturday’s Sprint at the Circuit of the Americas, Hamilton secured a second-place finish behind Max Verstappen, while George Russell posted an eighth-place result. On race day, the duo crossed the checkered flag in second and seventh positions, respectively.
On the opposite end of Toto Wolff’s satisfaction spectrum, the Austrian identified the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, where Mercedes and Russell had emerged victorious the previous year, as the team’s most disappointing race.
“It’s challenging because there have been numerous instances where we had high expectations, and it didn’t unfold as anticipated,” Wolff remarked. “Brazil was challenging because it was such a stellar race for us in 2022. We dominated the entire weekend last year, both the sprint race and the main race, and then in 2023, the opposite was the case. So that was a low point.”
Despite Mercedes enduring a winless campaign, the first since 2011, the Brackley team managed to secure the runner-up position in the championship, edging out Ferrari by a mere three points.
Throughout the latter part of the season, Wolff consistently downplayed the significance of finishing second in the championship. Nevertheless, the Mercedes boss eventually expressed delight with the achievement, even though securing third place would have provided his team with more aerodynamic development hours in 2024.
“A notable moment was Sunday night in Abu Dhabi,” Wolff shared. “I hadn’t placed a significant emphasis on P2 and P3; naturally, we always aim for P1. However, securing P2 held emotional and moral importance for the team. It was a positive moment.
“From a mindset standpoint, if you had asked me at the start of the season, I might have said that finishing P2 or P3 wasn’t particularly crucial. The sporting advantage is that you get more wind tunnel time for the next year.
“But then there’s a financial aspect for all our staff in terms of bonuses. I need to consider everyone, along with my senior management. Therefore, it’s a highly important component, even if, from a sporting perspective, it may not seem as relevant.
“Having clinched second place in the world championship that evening felt fantastic. I hadn’t anticipated that feeling. There was a noticeable boost in morale and emotion within the team, and that was significant.”
