Toto Wolff didn’t expect the joy of finishing second
Mercedes finished a disappointing 2nd in the championship. After an eventful season, the garage was satisfied with the result.
Nothing was guaranteed until the last crossing of the season 2023 line. After a long and eventful season, Mercedes finally managed to finish 2nd in the constructors championship. The German stable benefited from a greater regularity over the whole season than its competitor Ferrari.
The start of the season did not guarantee the second step of the podium to Toto Wolff’s team, with Aston Martin in great shape. However, the improvements made to the black single-seater allowed Mercedes to climb to second place and keep its advantage until the last race.
A turbulent season
With this success, Mercedes has had a better season than in 2022, where the German team had finished 3rd in the championship. A positive success, at first sight for morale. « The answer is not unilateral », Toto Wolff explained. « From a mental standpoint, if you had asked me this question at the start of the season, I would have answered that it’s not very relevant whether we finish P2 or P3. After finishing second that night, it was amazing. I did not expect to feel this feeling. You could see a resurgence of morale and emotion cross the team, and that was important. »
This second place offers guarantees to the team. By ranking in this position, the team has seen a significant financial payout. This sum allows for the enhancement of the development of the next car and the strengthening of its staff. However, in exchange for this advantage, better-ranked teams see their wind tunnel time significantly reduced. In the case of Mercedes, ranked 2nd, the wind tunnel time will be 70% of the base duration, as granted by regulation.
« If you finish 3rd, the sports advantage is that you have more time in the wind tunnel for the following year », said the Austrian director. « But then there is a financial aspect for all our staff in terms of bonuses. I have to take care of everyone in collaboration with my senior management. And therefore, it is a very important element, even though maybe from a sports point of view, it’s not that relevant. »
The first impacts will be observable in the race as early as March 2nd in Bahrain for the first Grand Prix of the year 2024.
