Why Wolff won’t “meddle” with Mercedes technical decisions despite tough 2022
Mercedes endured their worst F1 campaign since 2012 last year, scoring a single victory and pole position across the 22-race season.
It was the first time in Lewis Hamilton’s F1 career that he didn’t stand on the top step of the podium, while new teammate George Russell fared slightly better, claiming his maiden win at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
While Mercedes did end the year strongly, the early races saw Hamilton and Russell fight in the midfield, even being out-paced by the likes of Alfa Romeo on occasion.
Porpoising - the bouncing phenomenon on the straights - was what caught Mercedes out in the first half of the season.
Before Mercedes' minor slump, they had won eight consecutive constructors’ titles in a row from 2014 to 2021.
Even though Mercedes struggled relative to recent years, Wolff explained why it’s important he doesn’t interfere with the technical team.
“We’ve been lucky to win eight constructors’ titles in a row, which is unprecedented,” he told The Times.
“And that is due to the fact that we empower the staff here. If I started to meddle in technical decisions after such a winning streak that would be odd.”
Expanding further on Mercedes’ difficulties in 2022, Wolff conceded that they simply “got the physics wrong”.
“We got the physics wrong. It’s no myth. We misinterpreted some of the regulations. We put too much emphasis on seeking performance in a car that was supposed to run on the ground, very low.
“But you can’t run it so low, because it [the floor of the car] was hitting the ground. So we had to lift it up, which changed things again. It sounds like a trivial explanation, but this is the reality.”
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