Toto Wolff only needed one race in 2023 to conclude that the Mercedes W14 could be 'thrown in the trash'. Hamilton was not so firm later in the season, but Wolff stuck to his decision to throw the F1 car in the bin. So Mercedes starts this year with a clean slate. Wolff reveals that Mercedes' 2024 F1 car already appears to be better in sim tests than the cars from the two previous seasons.
The Daily Telegraph spoke with Wolff in the run-up to the upcoming racing season. Just before the interview, Wolff telephoned F1 analyst and Mercedes test driver, Anthony Davidson. 'He drove [in red.] Melbourne [in de simulator red.] and he said: “The car feels like a car for the first time in two years,” says the team boss. Unfortunately, the interviewer fails to mention whether the previous F1 cars felt like go-karts or microcars.
Mercedes has 'the only driver' who wants Wolff in the car
Mercedes will start with the Hamilton-Russell duo for the third year in 2024. Wolff is very pleased with his drivers: “George is our future and you know, when I look at all the young men, of the current Formula 1 driver, he is the only one I want in the car.” Russell is less than a year older than Verstappen, so Verstappen is also one of the 'young men'. We would also go for a single race winner instead of a three-time world champion.
After long contract negotiations, an agreement was also reached with Lewis Hamilton. Wolff is asked whether he thinks Hamilton can win an eighth world title. 'The answer is clearly YES in capital letters. There is a reason why Lewis is a seven-time world champion and has broken all the records,” Wolff said. For this, Mercedes only needs to provide a car that Hamilton has confidence in, the team boss believes.
Mercedes is aiming for this and next year
You would think that Wolff is referring to a championship in 2026. Then the FIA will implement a major rule change. Until then, Red Bull Racing with Max Verstappen seem unbeatable. Wolff disagrees with that. According to him, the team has to believe in it. “We owe it to Lewis, George and the rest of the team to give our full attention to 2024 and 2025. I think it's [een achtste wereldtitel voor Hamilton red.] is possible,” Wolff said.
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