27 March 2023 , 14:59
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Toto Wolff has vowed not to walk away from Mercedes, reaffirming his commitment to restoring the team to the top of the Formula 1 championship.
The Austrian oversaw a remarkable period of dominance after the Silver Arrows adapted quickest at the start of the 'Hybrid Era'. Eight consecutive constructors' titles followed, though that run came to an end last year.
Another major adaptation to the regulations saw Red Bull emerge as the front-runners, while Mercedes were left with a W13 prone to porpoising. They eventually got on top of those bouncing issues, but a performance gap remains between themselves and the leaders.
Wolff has already admitted that the team is going to have to rethink its car concept, despite initially sticking to it at the start of this new season. The hope was that the W14 might be more competitive against Red Bull, but the gap between them is arguably larger.
F1 is unlike football, in that team boss turnover in the face of a run of bad results is nowhere near as high. Nevertheless, Wolff knows that he is likely to face more questions about his future the longer their struggles continue.
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The Austrian says he will step aside if required – but insists he remains completely committed to leading Mercedes through their tough patch and back to the top. "Whether it is good or bad, I really enjoy being the team principal of the team," he told reporters.
Mercedes' W14 car is less competitive than hoped (AP)"I think I can contribute. But, if one day I come to the conclusion, or people that are close to me are going to tell me that I'm not, then I will consider giving the baton to somebody else.
"I would have no shame that I'll criticise from the sidelines, from a TV screen and know it better. But, until then, I think I still have fun doing it. And obviously turning the ship around, after so many successful years, that's really a good challenge.
"The people in charge in Mercedes and in INEOS, they are high-performance individuals within the core business or in sports. We have all been through downs and ups and there is not a millimetre of doubt. There is so much support from them in order to get us back on track."