F1 boss declares title race over after four races

Toto Wolff has made a sad assessment regarding the future of Mercedes.

The Austrian has led the team since 2013, and oversaw their championship winning years during the hybrid era.

READ MORE: Horner crisis rumbles on as suspended employee 'returns' to Red Bull

However, since the introduction of the new regulations in 2022, Mercedes have struggled to return to their race winning ways.

A further blow came to the team when seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton announced he was leaving the team for Ferrari in 2025.

Wolff looks to the future

Mercedes have not just fallen behind Red Bull, but also lack performance compared to rivals Ferrari and McLaren.

Toto Wolff has written off their chances this year and is already looking to the future according to the Guardian.

“No one is going to catch Max this year,” Wolff said. “His driving and the car are just spectacular. You can see the way he manages the tyres and basically this season now is best of the rest.

“That’s the fact, that is all, but hopefully we can catch up to the McLarens and to the Ferraris and fight for P2. This is what it is this year and what is was last year and we had a P2 last year.”

“If I was to look from a pure ­sporting point of view it is P1 which matters, not P2, P3 or P4, but this is the reality that we are facing at the moment.

READ MORE: Alonso dismisses Mercedes links with RUTHLESS jibe

“We’re trying to do the best out of this new reality and that is to beat our competitors whilst acknowledging that somebody is just doing a better job and setting the benchmark that we eventually need to set ourselves again.

“In 2026 there is a big reset that certainly provides the most realistic opportunity for any other team to beat Red Bull but there is one and a quarter seasons until then and I don’t want too much suffering in the next 18 months,” he said.

READ MORE: Here's who could join the F1 grid in 2025 as three stars fight to keep their seats

Related

F1 News

Mercedes mass exodus continues with ANOTHER departure

• May 18, 2024 02:00

Latest F1 News

Ferrari RAID Mercedes again as key members join Italian team

• May 14, 2024 15:00