Mercedes won 8 F1 constructors' titles because I don't meddle in technical decisions, claims Toto Wolff

Despite a disappointing 2022 F1 season, Mercedes is still regarded as one of the most successful teams in the sport. The Silver Arrows have won eight world titles under Toto Wolff, making the Austrian one of the most successful team principals in the sport.

In an exclusive interview with The Times, Wolff explained how he does not get involved in technical aspects or decisions. He claimed this was one of the main reasons why Mercedes was able to win eight world championships. Wolff said:

“We’ve been lucky to win eight constructors’ titles in a row, which is unprecedented. And that is due to the fact that we empower the staff here. If I started to meddle in technical decisions after such a winning streak that would be odd.”

The Mercedes team principal further shared how he is only in 'observer mode' during race sessions and gives a valuable human perspective to help the team. However, being the CEO and co-owner of the team, the Austrian also took responsibility for failing to deliver in the 2022 F1 season. He said:

“So at that stage, I am in observer mode. I try to guide from a human perspective. Is there anything we need in additional resources? Having said that, I am responsible as the CEO and co-owner. And we, as a team, got it wrong (in 2022).”

Mercedes struggled with porpoising and other aerodynamic issues last season, while Red Bull and Ferrari continued to extend their lead and fight for the world championship. Both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell came together and worked hard with the team to bring them back up.

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George Russell believes Mercedes will hit back in the 2023 F1 season

George Russell is positive that Mercedes will bounce back from a tough season and fight Red Bull and Ferrari for the championship in 2023. Though many questioned the Silver Arrows during the 2022 F1 season, we must not forget that they are one of the best teams on the entire grid.

Russell explained how the team has not forgotten how to make a good car. They simply took a different route, which ended up being the wrong one. He said (via PlanetF1):

“They haven’t forgotten how to build a fast race car. We just got it wrong. We got the philosophy wrong. We went down a route which turned out to be the wrong route.”

He further added:

“Sometimes it takes you a long time to dig yourself out of that hole. Now I feel we’ve dug ourselves out of that hole and we’re building on top of that. We are a step behind Red Bull and Ferrari and we’ve got a lot of catching up to do – but we’re definitely going to be in a much stronger position from race one.”

Mercedes has a lot of catching up to do in the 2023 F1 season to compete against Red Bull and Ferrari for the world championship.