Toto Wolff has outlined his outlook ahead of 2024, refusing to make any predictions but maintaining a clear belief in the team. This winter will be crucial for Mercedes to close the gap to reigning Champions Red Bull.
James Allison and Toto Wolff have given their forecasts for next year’s campaign. In a very similar fashion, both senior figures at Mercedes are being careful to try and manage expectations.
For a team so accustomed to winning races, the last two years have been very difficult. 2023 was an especially disappointing campaign, as it cemented the German team’s failure to learn from the mistakes of 2022.
In some ways, Mercedes was forced to sacrifice the last twelve months and wait until next year to bring more ambitious updates. Limited spending and wind tunnel allocations mean that any mistakes are brutally punished.
Looking ahead to next season, Red Bull have every advantage. The RB19 was dominant in almost every aspect, especially on race day. Unlike its rivals, Red Bull has thoroughly understood these regulations since day 1.
Formel 1 – Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, Großer Preis von Saudi-Arabien 2023. Lewis Hamilton
Formula One – Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, Saudi Arabian GP 2023. Lewis Hamilton
For the likes of Mercedes, there are plenty of unknowns heading into next season. Still, the team cannot afford to be conservative – otherwise they risk losing even more ground to Red Bull.
When asked about the biggest challenge that lies ahead in 2024, Toto Wolff was candid in his response:
“It’s a) to set the expectations right – because we have a huge mountain to climb. There’s a team that is so successful, and we have a big gap to close.
“At the same time, I believe we’ve taken some proactive steps to close that gap. Is it going to be good enough? I don’t know.
“But we’re going to see it in testing and then in the first race in Bahrain. I’m super excited. I’d like to start going now. It’s the stopwatch that’s going to tell us what job we’ve done.”
Ultimately, pre-season testing will offer the first concrete indications of the 2024 season. Until then, most team principals can be expected to downplay expectations from the media and the fans.
However, when the season begins, only results on track will determine failure or success. For a team like Mercedes, anything short of competing for race wins will surely be seen as a disappointment.
