"That's business as usual" - Mercedes on teams asking FIA clarifications for its wing mirrors

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is not fazed by the other F1 teams who are seeking clarification from the FIA about the legality of the Silver Arrows' wing mirrors in 2022.

After Ferrari questioned whether the new Mercedes W13's wing mirrors were in line with the spirit of the 2022 F1 regulations, Wolff was asked to share his thoughts during a joint press conference. The Austrian said:

“I think absolutely fair enough that a team questions stuff that’s on another car, so that’s business as usual. We tried to be as diligent as we can be, particularly in an age of new regulations, you want to have the FIA involved in every step you take, and that’s what we have done. Not to take any risks.”

Alfa Romeo team principal Frédéric Vasseur was also of a similar opinion. He said:

“Yes, honestly it’s business as usual, as Toto said before. Because each week you have a request to the FIA coming from a team on a technical point, just to get a clarification. And now that it’s up to the FIA to take a decision, and for me, it’s business-as-usual but this time the request came to the journalist – but no big difference for us.”

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Mercedes boss admits to having had more than 500 hours of therapy while discussing mental health problems

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stressed the importance of seeking help to stay on top of mental health obstacles.

The 50-year-old was in conversation at the Baker Library at Harvard Business School in Cambridge with Professor Anita Elberse and her class when he said:

“I’ve been going to a psychiatrist since 2004, I think I’ve had more than 500 hours [of therapy]. I have suffered mentally, I still do. Getting help is a way of overcoming my problems, and it has helped me to access untapped potential. I’ve never had any problem with the stigma. Some of the most successful people are very, very sensitive and very, very sensitive means very, very vulnerable.”

Wolff, himself no stranger to the struggles of depression himself, went on to add:

“Without going into too much detail, feeling depressed, feeling inadequate. Everything depends upon how you perceive yourself. High-profile people who seem to have everything but are struggling, I think we have an obligation to say we’re getting help and it’s ok to get help. Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka deserve a lot of credit for how they’ve spoken about this.”

The Mercedes boss will need to be as resilient as possible going into the first race of the season after both his drivers were unable to qualify beyond P4. Lewis Hamilton will start the 2022 F1 Bahrain GP in P5 while teammate George Russell could only manage a P9 starting spot on the grid.