Toto Wolff delivered a message to his Mercedes team ahead of a crucial winter break, emphasizing the need for improvement. He stressed the importance of the team pulling together to develop a competitive car for the 2024 season, aiming to challenge Red Bull. Despite finishing second in the 2023 Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes was significantly behind Red Bull in terms of performance.
George Russell’s podium finish in Abu Dhabi secured second place for Mercedes, narrowly beating Ferrari by three points. However, this achievement only served as a distraction from the evident performance gap between Mercedes and Red Bull at the top of the standings.
Red Bull finished the season with a substantial lead of 451 points over Mercedes, maintaining their superiority even in the last race. When asked about the team’s chances of competing with Red Bull in 2024, Wolff acknowledged the challenges and risks associated with developing a new car but expressed a realistic optimism.
Wolff emphasized the competitive nature of Formula 1, stating that the best driver with the best car emerges victorious. He stressed the need for Mercedes to improve their performance, expressing hope that they could be the team to challenge Red Bull.
Looking ahead to the 2024 season, Wolff believed that if Mercedes could produce a competitive car capable of challenging Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton had a realistic chance of winning his eighth Drivers’ Championship. He expressed confidence in Hamilton’s abilities, stating that providing him with a competitive car would enable him to contend for the championship. Wolff concluded by emphasizing the importance of giving Hamilton a car that would allow him to unleash his true potential on the race track.