Wolff impressed: 'First time since I was an adolescent'

Toto Wolff has had two turbulent seasons. Last season, he lost the world title with Mercedes in the final race, while this race year he had to pull out all the stops to avoid worse. However, the team boss is confident about the future.

Looking back at the last two years, the Austrian felt 2021 was more intense. After all, Max Verstappen's world title came hard at the time. "It was the first time I had lost control since I was an adolescent and in my sense of fairness, that was totally against my values," he recalled in conversation with Sky Sports.

Wolff is pleased that Mercedes managed to fight their way back in the closing stages of last season and even took a victory in Brazil. At the same time, however, he knows that results achieved are no guarantee for the future. That means he is keen to keep his team on edge and do everything he can to get a strong car on the grid in the early months of 2023.

With Binotto's departure, there seems to be extra hope for Mercedes. Indeed, the Italians were tough to beat last season, but could possibly step down due to the current struggles. It presents opportunities for Mercedes, but for now Wolff wants to focus mainly on himself. "There's no fear, but we need to be sharp," he said.