Toto Wolff labels Mercedes and Ferrari as ‘losers’ in 2023 irrespective of a top 3 finish

Mercedes' runner-up spot in the F1 standings wasn't very impressive for Team Principal Toto Wolff.

Toto Wolff labels Mercedes and Ferrari as ‘losers’ in 2023 irrespective of a top 3 finish

Toto Wolff [L] Fred Vasseur [R] (images via IMAGO)

Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari took the top 3 spots in the F1 standings respectively. Although Mercedes and Ferrari might not have had the best stint this season, a top-three finish in the constructors was still satisfactory. However, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff highlighted that the position didn’t matter as such as both teams failed to win the title.

The Austrian billionaire was questioned if he’d rather take a P2 finish without a win or a P3 finish with a win. Wolff bluntly replied to this and claimed that both the conditions still meant that his team was one of the ‘losers’. Furthermore, the 51-year-old insisted that a P2 finish was good for the monetary bonus while a P3 finish was good for the added wind tunnel time for development.

Both losers, It's better to be second for the money and the bonuses and it is better to be P3 because of the wind-tunnel time.
Wolff said, as reported by racingnews365.com.
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The third-place finish for Ferrari meant that the Scuderia would have 7% added wind-tunnel time compared to Mercedes. Subsequently, the Brackley would have had a whopping 14% more wind-tunnel time for development as compared to Red Bull if they had finished third. Hence Toto Wolff reckoned that it would’ve been ideal to get both, more wind tunnel time and money.

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Ferrari has 7% more than us though, and we would have had 14% more than Red Bull [if we finished third], but you can't get what you always want. You want the bonuses and the extra wind-tunnel time.

Toto Wolff does not want to wait until 2026 to challenge Red Bull

The season of 2023 put forth an untouched performance from Red Bull where Milton Keynes eliminated any competition early on in the season. However, Toto Wolff wants to fight Red Bull in the following season. While many believe that the new 2026 regulations might be the only way to stop Max Verstappen‘s dominant reign.

Toto Wolff and Mercedes crew working on Lewis Hamilton’s W14.
Toto Wolff and Mercedes crew working on Lewis Hamilton’s W14 (Credits: IMAGO)

Wolff made it clear that he did not want to wait until 2026 to challenge the dominant Red Bulls. The numbers and data for the team provided great information to develop the cars for Mercedes. Additionally, the Austrian called out the Mercedes crew to do a ‘better job’ if his team seriously wanted to fight for the championship.

Nonetheless, the Brackley crew as well as Toto Wolff have displayed optimism over the development of the W15 on multiple occasions. The Silver Arrows are desperately working on improving the challenge for the next year in an attempt to return to the team’s winning ways.

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