Wolff: Mercedes were not ‘complete losers’ during title drought years

Toto Wolff has no intention of rewriting Mercedes’ recent history now that the team is back on top.

The team boss admits its four-year struggle during Formula 1’s ground-effect era was deeply uncomfortable, but insists the Silver Arrows should not be remembered as “complete losers” during that challenging period.

Mercedes sealed its ninth constructors’ championship at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, a week after Kimi Antonelli became the sport’s youngest-ever drivers’ champion.

The turnaround has been dramatic: after just seven wins between 2022 and 2025, Mercedes has already claimed 12 victories in 2026.

A difficult road back

Having won eight consecutive constructors’ titles from 2014 to 2021, Mercedes suddenly found itself struggling to understand why its ground-effect cars were not delivering.

Wolff says the lessons are easier to appreciate now than they were at the time.

“The thing is, when you are in these difficult moments, like we all are sometimes in our lives, it's not that easy to keep going,” Wolff said.

“Because looking back in retrospect, you're saying, ‘We needed these tough moments in order to grow as people or to grow as an organisation’. But when you're down, that is quite difficult to feel.

“So looking back, I think those last four years were very difficult, between getting it wrong and then kind of understanding why it was wrong and then realising, no, we didn't understand. And that was a big back and forth.

“But we will be looking back in 10 or 20 years, and when you look at the statistics, it wasn't that we were complete losers over those four years, because we finished [third, second, fourth, second successively]. We won races, many races.

“So it wasn't that bad at all when you look at the sheer numbers, but it felt not good. And the resilience of the team – the people that held together in those tough times – is a factor.

‘Really proud’ of the comeback

Wolff believes the team's ability to stick together makes its return to the top especially satisfying.

Mercedes' nine titles put it level with Williams in the all-time standings, behind McLaren on 10 and Ferrari on 16.

“So it feels really good sealing those two titles,” he said. “Not many sports teams have done that after a consecutive run of championships, then a difficult spell, and then coming back.

“So I'm really proud that we are part of this very small group of teams that have done that in all sports.”

Read also: Mercedes’ ninth crown brings Wolff into elite company

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