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Despite Mercedes “Sad State”, Toto Wolff Ignores 71-Year-Old F1 Expert’s Advice to Resurrect the Team

Published 04/09/2024, 10:50 AM EDT

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Mercedes is having their worst season ever since Lewis Hamilton started winning championships. Presently, the team has accumulated 34 points, just one ahead of their current competition, Aston Martin. Surprisingly, between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, it’s not the 7-time world champion scoring more points. Not an easy ride for Toto Wolff this season!

Everyone is watching Mercedes’ downfall, but not everyone is relishing it. Peter Windsor, the former general manager for Ferrari’s F1 team, is one of them. After seeing the team fail to be competitive season after season, Windsor decided to step in and help the Silver Arrows. Only to learn that the team is not interested.

Peter Windsor ghosted by Toto Wolff

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While discussing Mercedes‘ current state, Peter Windsor explained an intriguing interaction between him and Toto Wolff. Despite it not being much of an interaction, Windsor offered to help Mercedes out, and the Austrian left him on read. The 71-year-old explained, “I know of at least one really, really good Formula 1 engineer who would love to work for Mercedes.”

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Giving insights on his skills, the 71-year-old said, “He’s got a lot to bring in terms of bouncing and managing the car and aerodynamics. He’s available, and I wrote to Toto about him and said, ‘This guy’s available; he’d love to talk. I’ll put you in touch directly if you’d like to do it.'” 

But the Mercedes boss denied the need for any assistance from Windsor as the ex-Ferrari boss explained, “Didn’t even get a reply, so I don’t know. They’re not listening at the moment, as far as I’m concerned.” Diving into the team’s current state, he concluded, “It’s a sad state of affairs, isn’t it, when they can say they’re making progress, and yet around Suzuka, one of the best circuits in the world, Lewis Hamilton is blown away by an Aston Martin.”

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The team’s state is causing a sense of discouragement among teammates and fans, as they are still struggling to pinpoint the problem with the W15. Ever since the engine regulation changes in 2022, the team has struggled to get their car right despite being a power unit supplier for both McLaren and Williams.

What does this mean for the future power unit partnership for Mercedes?

Currently, the team is in a delicate situation both on track and off track, with the garage being in panic, trying to get the W15 to go faster. There have been constant complaints by Lewis Hamilton about the car not performing, which was visible when Lando Norris flew past the 7-time world champion with ease. Being the engine provider to McLaren and losing their car cannot be satisfactory for Mercedes, but luckily, this has not yet affected the partnership for the power unit.

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On the other hand, Williams is not performing well this season, as they have yet to score a single point. Ultimately, Williams and McLaren have confirmed that they will continue using Mercedes-Benz engines after implementing the low-carbon emission units. It is promising news for Mercedes, as it helps them finance much of their F1 work while building deeper connections in the motorsport world.

With the way Mercedes is performing, do you think they have a shot at finding themselves higher on the pecking order? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by:

Viren Mirpuri

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Viren Mirpuri is an F1 Writer at EssentiallySports. With a Degree in Mass Media and a Specialization in Journalism, Viren is known for his speedy race day coverage outside of discussing the engine technicalities. Whether he's dissecting the latest technical innovations or unraveling the drama on and off the track, he ensures that his readers stay engaged and informed.
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Edited by:

Jacob Gijy