F1 News: Toto Wolff reveals 'complete relaunch' after Mercedes failure

Toto Wolff looks on angrily as an under-wraps F1 car sits in the foreground — Photo: © IMAGO

Latest F1 News

Wolff reveals 'complete relaunch' after Mercedes failure

His Mercedes team have ripped up their previous designs

Originally written by Sam Cook. This version is a translation.

Wednesday 14 February 2024 19:57

Toto Wolff has admitted that Mercedes' new 2024 car is a completely different beast from their disappointing 2023 attempt.

Mercedes went the whole season without a race victory, and have now claimed just one win in two years (George Russell in Brazil in 2022), which likely played a part in Lewis Hamilton's decision to jump ship to Ferrari.

Although the Brackley-based outfit hope to make big gains on their competitors, a championship challenge is unlikely in the short-term, a fact that perhaps persuaded Lewis Hamilton to announce his shock move to Ferrari ahead of 2025.

That means that the upcoming season will be Hamilton's 12th and final season with the team with whom he has managed to claim six of his seven world championships.

Lewis Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in 2025

Toto Wolff is hoping to return the team to winning ways in 2024

Mercedes' 2024 challenger unveiled

Article continues under video

Hamilton has vowed to try his best to return Mercedes to winning ways in 2024, with the Brit not having won a race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Now, Wolff has said that they have given themselves the best chance to make gains on Red Bull, by ripping up the previous design of their W14 from last season.

"This is very different. Not only on the aerodynamic surfaces but mainly underneath, there are so many mechanical changes that we have done which we hope are going to translate into more performance, more predictability and a car that the drivers can really push.

"We will see it next week in Bahrain," he concluded, hinting at pre-season testing, which takes place later in February.

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes Toto Wolff