“Don’t be sh*t” – Toto Wolff’s ‘deadpan’ advice for wife Susie Wolff on her F1 debut

At the 2014 British GP, Susie Wolff became the first woman to take part in a Formula 1 race weekend since 1992. Her husband Toto Wolff's advice was to not be 'sh*t'.

“Don’t be sh*t” – Toto Wolff’s ‘deadpan’ advice for wife Susie Wolff on her F1 debut

Susie Wolff (L) Toto Wolff (R)

Toto Wolff, a legend of F1 and motorsport, turns 51 today (12 January). He is one of the most successful team bosses of all time – having won 8 constructors’ titles with Mercedes. Apart from serving as the team principal, he is also the CEO and part-owner. Before that, he was also part-owner and executive director at Williams’ F1 team. He’s well known for his meticulous attention to detail – and a ‘tough love’ approach. His wife, Susie Wolff (née Stoddart), once recounted an example of this.

The same year that he was named executive director at Williams (2012), Susie became a development driver for the team. While he left the team officially the next year, he still held a significant amount of shares, which he finally (completely) sold off in 2016. During Wolff’s time at Williams (though he was already halfway out the door), at the 2014 British Grand Prix, she became the first woman to participate in a Formula 1 race weekend in over 22 years.

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She clearly deserved the shot too. In a later practice session at the 2014 German GP, she finished 15th, just around two-tenths behind her teammate for the session, ‘regular’ driver, Felipe Massa. Back to the British GP. When Susie said goodbye to her husband in the paddock [before going on track], his response was: “He looked at me. There was a pause and I thought, O.K., he’s going to say something really nice. And he looked at me, deadpan straight, and said, ‘Don’t be shit.’ ” she told the New Yorker.

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Perhaps Wolff said that half-jokingly, but there’s no way for us to know that. It’s an appropriate summation of his work ethic, the intensity, and the perfection that he demands from everyone. Unfortunately, the day ended in disappointment for Susie Wolff [and her husband, of course]. Just 24 minutes in and having only driven four laps, an engine failure brought an end to her session.

Read More: Toto Wolff’s wife Susie once challenged Lewis Hamilton, in their karting days

Toto Wolff will look to lead Mercedes back to glory in 2023

Toto Wolff
Toto Wolff

Toto Wolff was perhaps dealt the biggest setback of his Mercedes career at the start of 2022. After nigh on 8 seasons of dominating Formula 1, the Silver Arrows found themselves a considerable way behind [on performance] Ferrari and Red Bull. But they had reliability on their side and were able to keep in touch with Ferrari until the summer break. From Belgium onwards, they took a big step forward (in relation to Ferrari), often being Red Bull’s closest competition.

After some rather slim chances to win a Grand Prix passed them (in particular, Lewis Hamilton) by in Zandvoort and the USA, they finally got some occasion for joy in Brazil. They dominated that weekend, with George Russell winning the sprint and leading a 1-2 in the feature race. Unfortunately, Wolff was not there to see them do this, but he has a chance to feel that again in 2023. With Red Bull’s cost cap penalty (the 10% wind tunnel time reduction), there is now considerable potential for a three-way title fight.

Mercedes’ progress and the rate of development shown are encouraging signs as well. Ferrari also seemed to have some performance in hand in the second half of the season, so it’ll be interesting to see how they figure into this equation. Even with their progress, Mercedes will have to make a big step forward to match up with Red Bull, or even be competitive. Toto Wolff has a big task at hand, but he’s a serial winner, and clearly well-equipped to deal with Mercedes’ issues.

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