Wolff tackled after criticising own team: 'You are ultimately responsible'
F1 News
Eddie Jordan has lashed out firmly at Toto Wolff. The former team owner believes the Mercedes team boss came across as arrogant at the start of the F1 season and did not stay true to his 'no blame culture'.
The 2023 Formula 1 season was anything but a triumph for Mercedes. Although the German team still finished second in the constructors' championship, their gap with Red Bull Racing was greater than in 2022. Jordan believes Wolff, as team boss, should be able to turn the tide but argues that he needs to change his attitude.
Criticism of Toto Wolff's Attitude
"I think there was a touch of arrogance from Toto at the start of the year. He toned down from that. I questioned when he said the engineers' have got it wrong. I said listen: 'You are the CEO of the company, you are ultimately responsible. The buck stops with you. You've got it wrong. You should have said, in my opinion, 'We got it wrong,'" Jordan told the podcast Formula For Success.
"I'm not sure what's going on there, but people don't talk about Mercedes like they used to. They are not looking at them like title contenders next year. It seems to be a foregone conclusion that it's Max again. We're talking about Ferrari, McLaren, and that could be a mistake. Lewis Hamilton still has it in him to become world champion again."
Despite Mercedes finishing second in the constructors' championship, McLaren seems to have the best chances for 2024. The team of Zak Brown and Andrea Stella made impressive progress in 2023, scoring the most points in the second half of the season after Red Bull Racing. Mercedes hopes to take a big step forward in 2024 with a new car concept.