Toto Wolff makes Lewis Hamilton F1 vow as Red Bull gauntlet laid down for 2024

Toto Wolff speaks with Lewis Hamilton — Photo: © LAT Images

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Wolff makes Hamilton F1 vow as Red Bull gauntlet laid down for 2024

The Mercedes chief is in a fighting mood ahead of the 2024 F1 season

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Thursday 18 January 2024 14:00

Mercedes F1 team principal, Toto Wolff, has used McLaren's mid-season resurgence in 2023 as proof that his team are still capable of beating Red Bull in 2024 – something that he believes they 'owe' to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

Back in June, sat P6 in the constructors' championship on just 17 points, things were looking pretty bleak for McLaren.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri simply could not get their MCL60s to fire and the team were in desperate need of rapid improvement.

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Yet a hugely successful upgrade that Norris received at the Austrian Grand Prix changed the team's entire fortunes, as they went from the back of the grid to the very front – often being the closest challenger to Red Bull and Max Verstappen.

McLaren endured a nightmare start to the 2023 season

Yet Oscar Piastri (L) and Lando Norris (R) enjoyed a mid-season change in fortune

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has his eyes on Max Verstappen and Red Bull in 2024

And even though Wolff had previously labelled the task of beating Red Bull on par with climbing Mt Everest, thanks to McLaren, the Austrian is not counting out the Silver Arrows just yet.

Wolff: Hamilton and Mercedes 2024 title 'possible'

“Always believe it’s possible,” he told the Daily Telegraph of whether Mercedes could indeed scale Everest this year.

“You cannot start the season with an attitude of ‘This is not going to be possible.’

"We saw last year with McLaren, what a huge step they made with a single upgrade.

"We’ve signed a two year deal with Lewis, and we owe it to him, to George and to all the team to give it our full attention in 2024 and 2025. I think it’s possible.”

Red Bull Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Mercedes McLaren Lando Norris