Mercedes values the "differentiator" from F1 rivals - Toto Wolff

Mercedes

Mercedes values the "differentiator" from F1 rivals - Wolff

Mercedes is on a streak of seven F1 championship doubles

Sam Hall

Tuesday 6 April 2021 14:09

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has identified the team's values as being the differentiating factor between the German manufacturer and its Formula 1 rivals.

Under the leadership of Wolff, Mercedes has claimed seven consecutive drivers' and constructors' championship doubles in a run of success dating back to 2014.

When joining the team in 2013, Wolff said he already had a "clear understanding" of the culture he wanted to create based upon his previous experience with Williams.

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Speaking on The High Performance Podcast, Wolff explained the values he ranks as the most important.

“Most important is character traits – integrity, loyalty, respect for the individual, attention to detail, fanatical obsession with what you do," he said.

Wolff added: “I believe that all of us can increase each other’s level and we just need somebody coming in and raising the bar and everybody else will try to achieve that.

“But what is the differentiator? The differentiator is all those values that I could talk [about] for a long time that lead also to the comradery with the team - that we are empowering, that we blame the problem, that we communicate around hierarchies in terms of quickly solving the problem, Mercedes Sport that gives us unconditional support and no politics.

“Politics you can do outside to make things go towards your direction. No allowance for politics around the team. No place for dickheads. The ‘All-Blacks’ mentality.”

Conceding he takes "too much credit" for the work of those around him, Wolff said that when instilling his values at Mercedes, "Where I felt resistance, I tried to convince. Where I couldn’t convince, it ended.

“I think that is very important but I give everybody credit, the chance to develop, to agree on a path forward and sometimes I am wrong so I really like the discussion with competent people and come to a joint opinion."