Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton Struggles: Toto Wolff Opens Up About Lessons Learned
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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has reflected on the last three years of the current ground effect era with Lewis Hamilton, which highlighted a challenging period of their 12-season partnership that saw eight Constructors' Championships and six drivers' titles. Wolff was quick to explain that despite the challenges, the team ended the seven-time world champion's winless streak after 2021 before his exit to join Ferrari in 2025, and added that their successful partnership is something that hasn't been replicated in any other sport.
The introduction of the complex ground-effect era in 2022 posed significant challenges for many Formula 1 teams, including Mercedes, while Red Bull emerged as the dominant force. The 2023 season further highlighted Red Bull's supremacy, as the team won 21 out of 22 Grands Prix. The sole exception came in Singapore, where Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz claimed victory.
Although Mercedes made progress with its car in 2024, it struggled to deliver consistent results, performing best at circuits with cooler temperatures. Despite these challenges, Hamilton secured memorable victories at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, while teammate George Russell added two wins to the team's tally.
While Mercedes couldn't conclude its journey with Hamilton on the high note it had hoped for, Wolff added that the team's recent struggles do not diminish the historic success it achieved with Hamilton, labeling their partnership as one of the most successful in Formula 1 history. He said:
“It's the most competitive motorsport in the world and we were lucky and blessed with winning eight consecutive world championship titles.
“That wasn't done before in any other sport. And Lewis won seven drivers’ championships.
“You cannot extrapolate from that that you're going to win forever or that you're in the hunt for every single championship. That doesn't happen.
“And the regulations were changed twice and we maintained the level of performance and won championships. And then we've just been caught out by these new regulations in 2022.
“Until today, we're just not able to put steady performance on the car and provide the drivers with something that is predictable, that has enough downforce, that doesn't bounce or hop, that rides where the ride is acceptable, where the tyre degradation can be managed in the right way and not be too cold or too hot. And that is how sport goes.”
Wolff then cited an example of legendary basketball player Michael Jordan, emphasizing that Mercedes' seasons without a championship victory should not be seen as failures but as part of the journey. He explained:
“Michael Jordan played 12 [sic] seasons or whatever, he won six championships - were the other six a failure?
“We've been together 12 years now in this championship and we won eight. Are the other ones a failure?
“We finished third two years ago, we finished second last year, bearing in mind we haven't won a race, and we won three this year. So that is not all a failure.
“That was a pretty good spell for Mercedes and for Lewis. And we will be trying to do it better.
“We are trying to do it better every single day, every single weekend. And the same will be next season and then the big one in 2026.”