F1 News: Mercedes Chief Opens Up On Team Dynamics After "Frustrating" Season Start

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff speaks out on the dynamics within the team.

Prince Harry - Toto Wolff - George Russell - Mercedes / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman /

In the aftermath of a challenging start to the 2024 season, Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff has opened up on the dynamics within the team.

Key Takeaways:

• Mercedes aimed to climb the ranks this season but faces early setbacks, with a best finish of P5 so far.
• Despite moving to Ferrari next year, Lewis Hamilton's dedication is unwavering, with Wolff confident in both Hamilton and George Russell's abilities.
• Hamilton keeps a positive outlook, focusing on teamwork and incremental improvements despite the season's tough start.

Prince Harry - Toto Wolff - George Russell - Mercedes / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman /

As Mercedes set their sights on challenging the dominance of Red Bull in the 2024 F1 season, their aspirations have been dampened by a less than stellar performance in the initial races. The team has struggled to match the pace set by Ferrari and Red Bull, highlighted by George Russell's fifth-place finish in Bahrain, marking Mercedes' best result to date.

The focus has turned to the team dynamics, particularly the performance of Lewis Hamilton compared to his teammate George Russell, especially in light of the former's upcoming move to Ferrari. Questions about Hamilton's focus and morale have surfaced, but Wolff remains unfazed, affirming his confidence in his drivers' commitment and skill. Wolff commented to the media, as quoted by PlanetF1:

“I think the drivers are super in this whole setup, because Lewis is as good as you can be.

“He’s in a situation obviously where, on one side it’s super frustrating to see that we are not getting it, on the other side, look over the fence and it’s pretty good what’s happening there.

“But that is not his main priority today and George is just a fighter and is digging in and he knows that’s his place, so we’ve got to sort this out.”

Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Lewis Hamilton, reflecting on his retirement from the Australian Grand Prix due to an engine failure, shared his thoughts on the season's challenging start. He explained:

“I mean, this is the worst start to season I’ve ever had.

“Surprisingly, I feel pretty good. I’m trying to keep things in perspective, you know, this like, could be so much worse.

“I’m really grateful. I’ve really enjoyed my time here in Australia, I’m still enjoying working with a team. Of course, I’d love to be fighting for wins and actually finishing races.

“It’s never a great feeling when you come all this way, and you don’t see even half of the race, but what I know is that we will bounce back, we will eventually get there, we just have to continue to chip away.”