F1 News: Toto Wolff Gives Damning W14 Verdict After Brazilian GP Woes - "Miserable Thing"

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff branded the team's performance at the Brazilian GP as "inexcusable," highlighting the car's dramatic swing from podium finishes to a dismal race.

Mercedes have found themselves grappling with a capricious machine that can swing from podium contender to midfield struggler in the space of a week. CEO Toto Wolff has reflected on the "inexcusable performance" branding the W14 a "miserable thing".

• Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, expressed deep frustration with the team's performance at the Brazilian GP, describing it as "inexcusable" and a significant regression from prior weeks' podium finishes.
• Wolff highlighted the car's unpredictability, suggesting it has become a "miserable thing" to drive and calling for substantial development improvements for the upcoming season.
• The urgency for Mercedes to address their car's inconsistent performance is clear as Wolff emphasises the need for evolution to remain competitive in the F1 championship.

"Inexcusable performance. There’s even no words for that," Wolff began, visibly frustrated by the team's lacklustre showing at Interlagos. The stark contrast to recent races only compounded the sense of disappointment. 

"Inexcusable performance. There’s even no words for that.

"That car finished second last week and the week before, and whatever we did to it was horrible.

"Lewis survived out there, but George, I can only feel for the two driving such a miserable thing. 

"It’s on a knife’s edge."

It was not just the immediate performance dip that troubled the head of Mercedes' motorsport operations but the broader implications for the team's future. Wolff is looking ahead, recognising that a shift in development is required. 

"You’ve got to develop that better for next year."

Mercedes' trajectory this season, with its sudden oscillations in performance, has left even the most seasoned observers scratching their heads. Wolff's closing remarks underscored the peculiarity of their situation:

"It can’t be that within seven days you’re finishing on the podium, solid, with one of the two quickest cars, and then you’re nowhere and finishing eighth."