"Trigger a superpower" - Toto Wolff on how experiencing grief can help F1 drivers

Mercedes executive director Toto Wolff explained how F1 drivers emerge stronger from mental setbacks. The Austrian elucidated on how grief and suffering influenced the psyche of drivers and their motivational influence on their lives overall.

Speaking to Frankfurter Allgemeinen Sonntagszeitung in an interview reported by German publication AMP SPOX, Wolff said:

“Exposure to suffering, grief, or humiliation can leave scars. But this could trigger a superpower in some people. I do not want to say that successful people necessarily have to carry such a backpack, but with the experiences that I have personally made and with people who I do better know, it definitely plays a role.”

In the interview, Wolff highlighted his own suffering as he was orphaned in his teens. This helped him empathize with the suffering and grief of F1 drivers, and their psychology as a result of it. The 49-year-old threw light on how emotional adversities trigger and boost the mental strength of a driver at different levels.

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F1 CEO might fulfill Lewis Hamilton’s wish of an African GP

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali recently told Italian publication F1world that a race in Africa is a possibility. The Italian mentioned being in talks with possible circuits in both North and South Africa. Lewis Hamilton has mentioned in the past the importance of the sport returning to Africa and eagerly wished to participate in a race there in his career.

The South African circuit in Kyalami has been in talks with the sport and FIA to be able to host the Grand Prix for 2023 and beyond. According to Domenicali’s recent interview, however, that dream might be in the pipeline to turn into a reality.

The last time the sport raced on the African continent was at the South African Grand Prix in 1993. It was held at the Kyalami circuit, where Frenchman Alain Prost took the victory. Surprisingly, only seven drivers completed the race, out of a total of 26 drivers on the grid. Future multi-time world champion Michael Schumacher retired on the 39th lap of the race. Interestingly, the same Schumacher would win the drivers' championship for Ferrari in 2000, 20 years after the only African F1 champion Jody Scheckter did so for the Maranello-based team.