Toto Wolff claims his racing career fell off at its peak due to Ayrton Senna’s tragic death

Toto Wolff raced in Formula Ford for three seasons but had little success.

Ayrton Senna (Left, credits: Bloomberg) and Toto Wolff who was once backed by Red Bull in his early racing days (Right, credits: Red Bull)

Toto Wolff, one of the primary pillars behind Mercedes’ Formula 1 reign, recently bared his soul, recounting a journey of dashed dreams and triumphant comebacks. Wolff’s aspirations, once ignited on the Formula Ford circuit, faced a rollercoaster of fate. Speaking to BBC, Toto Wolff revealed how the ill-fated 1994 San Marino GP took a toll on his racing career.

In 1994 the San Marino GP saw the tragic demise of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger. The racing world mourned their loss. This has affected Wolff’s career as he was at the zenith of his career. He somberly recalled, “In 1994, when I was at the peak of my junior career, Ayrton Senna died, and two days earlier… Roland Ratzenberger.”

Striving to finance his racing ambitions, Wolff embarked on odd jobs like donning a golden cape outside a sponsor’s store, a testament to his determination. However, a seismic blow arrived when his sponsor, responsible for him and his fellow racers, gave up on them, saying, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’

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The sudden withdrawal of financial backing proved to be a decisive blow for the Austrian, which he admits was a “killer for me.” He added, as reported by Motorsports Total.Com, “I knew that it wouldn’t work without his financial support.” Although he later attempted a racing comeback, the magic that once fueled his drive had waned.

Discover: Toto Wolff claims Lewis Hamilton has been receiving more support after the 2021 title was ‘stolen’ from him

Toto Wolff had to intern at his mom’s bank, picking up the investment trade

Toto Wolff in his junior career days (Credits: Twitter)

Amidst the scorching summer, Wolff toiled at a bank in Warsaw. At the same time, his friends basked in vacations and race events. He was half Polish from his mother’s side and wasn’t from a rich family, so he had to join her to earn bread. He shared his painful times, saying, “I worked there and sometimes cried my eyes out in the office toilet during the lunch break.”

Toto’s banking experience unveiled new dreams. He mentioned that he had begun acquainting himself with concepts related to banking, investment banking, and the financial markets. This led him to his next dream which was “to be successful as an investment banker.” This marked the juncture where his trajectory pivoted toward a new ambition making him the first and only billionaire team principal. Toto affirmed that he “had to fight my way through, and it felt right.”

RT @Quicktake "If you can't be a racing driver, you would like to be an investment banker."

Toto Wolff told @jasonkellynews how he started in motorsports and wound up being the boss of @MercedesAMGF1.

Full documentary: https://t.co/gMNYm29fgw #F1 pic.twitter.com/OMk5fWQd6u
— Keynode's TechTalk (@_techtalkng) November 16, 2022

Wolff bought a 16% share in the Williams F1 team and joined its board of directors in 2009. This venture paved the way for his subsequent involvement with Mercedes. He was initially responsible for overseeing the team’s motorsport activities.

In 2014, Wolff sold two-thirds of his shares in Williams and became the team principal of the Mercedes F1 team, succeeding Ross Brawn. He guided the team to unprecedented success, winning eight constructor championships and seven driver titles and dominating the V6 Turbo Hybrid era from 2014 to 2021.