“Emotional” Mercedes boss makes no apology for wearing his 'heart on his sleeves'

Mercedes' team principal Toto Wolff talked about his emotional outbursts and mentioned his anger issues that many Formula 1 fans have witnessed over the years. Being extremely dedicated to the team and its work, he stated that it's difficult for him when someone harms the team one way or the other.

In a recent clip released by Sky Sports, Wolff was seen talking or rather justifying his emotional outbursts. There have been various moments through his journey as a team principal where his anger has been witnessed popping right out on live TV.

"I'm just trying to be authentic. I'm very emotional, having my heart on my sleeves. I'm taking it badly when somebody tries to harm the team."

He also mentioned the iconic moment during the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when he was seen smashing his headphones on the table. This was after Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes and Max Verstappen's Red Bull made contact during an intense part of the race.

That particular time in the sport was very controversial for both teams, and the heated-up battle between the two drivers had many on the edge of their seats. However, Wolff mentioned that he isn't completely proud of doing something like that.

"Sometimes the headphones break and when I see that, I'm not proud. My emotions and put me into trouble when I was an adolescent also, but it's just who I am."

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Mercedes hopeful for the Austrian GP as Toto Wolff feels the track is better for W14

F1 Grand Prix of Canada

Mercedes had a slow start to the season despite the development that was expected from them. After the first race itself, Wolff had promised a change in the car's design which was seen during the Monaco GP for the first time, a major change in the sidepods.

The car has been strong since then, scoring podiums during the Spanish and the Canadian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton brought to the team a good P2 finish to strengthen their standings.

Heading into Austria next week, Wolff feels that the W14 could be performing better. He mentioned that the track is mostly straight 'on paper', and only has a few medium to fast-paced corners. He is of the belief that the team could be even stronger here. PlanetF1 quoted him:

"It’s a venue where the W14 should perform better than in Canada, but we won’t take anything for granted. As always, we will be working hard to maximize our performance and deliver strong results."