Wolff reveals 'brain protection' in Mercedes defeats

Sam Hall
Monday 19 December 2022 06:30

Toto Wolff has conceded to feeling a "personal downfall" with each Mercedes defeat after a tough F1 season and how his brain went into protective mode.

George Russell's victory at the São Paulo Grand Prix ensured the Silver Arrows avoided its first winless campaign since 2011.

The team struggled in the early stages of the season and lost significant aerodynamic development time as it fought to get to grips with its porpoising problems.

Team principal Wolff has always maintained the potential learning from a defeat is greater than from a victory, with his most recent experiences doing nothing to shake this belief.

"All of these years, I've always been wary of the feeling when losing," Wolff told the 'Beyond the Grid' podcast.

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"Winning lasted overnight. Landing back in Europe, the feeling was on and you were thinking about the next race.

"But when losing, I felt it so much as a personal downfall that it lasted for a few days.

"And it's funny how your brain protects you because you manage expectations.

"You're half-a-second behind and the next race you are two-and-a-half and your brain says, 'That is actually solid'. But it's not.

"You have to always reassess yourself on the baseline and that was last year or the year before. This is what we expect from ourselves.

"So every time I am getting too comfortable with a situation, every time I am not having butterflies before a race, I actually worry if I am still fully in this."