Toto Wolff did not mince words in his response to Christian Horner’s recent statement about Mercedes personnel. After several key members of the team left Red Bull due to his departure, attention turned to Mercedes when they also experienced a similar exodus. However, Wolff has now addressed the exaggeration surrounding the number of people leaving his team.
Wolff has been vocal about Red Bull’s progress in F1, especially after Adrian Newey’s departure. In response, Horner urged him to focus on the 220 Mercedes team members who left the team. Wolff clarified that only 19 engineers actually left for Red Bull, which he considers a normal average.
Therefore, Wolff believes it is more important to retain the Mercedes team than to lose them to rival teams. He emphasized that he will not make any changes to the engine department of the Brackley-based team. Despite their recent performance slump, the 52-year-old Austrian is determined to keep the current team intact.
Mercedes has struggled to achieve notable results during the ongoing ground effect era, with only one victory since the 2022 season. However, Wolff spoke highly of the organization in Brackley, stating that they have been consistently successful for a long time.
Furthermore, Wolff reflected on Mercedes’ success since the 2014 season, considering them a benchmark even during their poor performances. He looks forward to the regulatory changes in the 2026 season and the competition they will bring to the grid.
As mentioned previously, Mercedes has been facing challenges in achieving victories for a long period of time. Despite introducing several improvements throughout the 2024 season, their performance has declined. However, the team remains committed to improving their performance, despite an unimpressive chassis.
