Toto Wolff quips: “Let’s build circuits in Alaska!” Mercedes suffers in the heat
Faced with Mercedes' persistent difficulties in the heat, boss Toto Wolff jokes about the idea of moving Formula 1... to the North Pole. A roundabout way of pointing out a real technical problem.
Nothing is really going well at Mercedes in 2025, or at least not yet. After nine Grand Prix, the German team is only third in the constructors’ standings, already 203 points behind McLaren, the team in form in this first half of the season. Although raw performance has improved compared to 2023, heat remains the Achilles’ heel of the Silver Arrows.
It’s on this subject that Toto Wolff decided to use irony, in an exchange with ORF and Alexander Wurz, a former driver turned circuit architect: « When it’s cold, like in Las Vegas last year, we’re ultra-competitive. So Alex, you should build circuits in Alaska or Greenland! »
Mercedes, strong when it’s cold… powerless when it’s hot
Toto Wolff does not hide it: the rear tires of the Mercedes W15 overheat as soon as temperatures rise. Conversely, when conditions are cool, the car enters the right performance window.
We are a huge organization with thousands of people, but we still can’t figure out how to keep the tires in the right range when it’s hot, he confesses.
« In Vegas, our drivers said they had incredible grip. Everyone else was complaining about a track without adherence. It’s indeed an intrinsic characteristic of our car. »
18 points over three races: a triple failure
The triple-header of Imola, Monaco, Barcelona confirmed the trend: only 18 points earned, compared to 20 for the Racing Bulls. Russell managed a modest top 4 in Barcelona, but Monaco was a nightmare (0 points) and Imola unimpressive. Antonelli, the Italian rookie, suffered a serious engine problem as early as Imola.
Some small updates in Barcelona (new flat floor, new rear wing) were not enough, even though Wolff perceives a slight improvement: « It’s not that we have caught up with McLaren, but it was a little better. »
While waiting for something better, Wolff dreams of a Winter Series
Lacking immediate solutions, the Austrian boss tosses out a provocative—or visionary—idea to save face: Let’s have a Winter Series! We’d be the best. As soon as it gets cold, we’re competitive. It’s in our DNA.
But behind this joke, Wolff is mainly concerned about the still incomplete understanding of their car, particularly in terms of thermal management and engine reliability. Even the engine sector, considered a strong point for Mercedes, has experienced failures in recent weeks, including with the customer Aston Martin.
The hope of a breakthrough
Mercedes has not yet given up on its 2025 season, but McLaren’s consistency leaves little room for doubt about the current hierarchy. However, Wolff maintains a hint of optimism:
In F1, sometimes a simple change can unlock everything. All it takes is a good upgrade or a discovery.
In the meantime, Mercedes fans will have to be patient… or hope for a Grand Prix in Iceland.
