Toto Wolff admitted it was a “fair question” whether he remained the right person to lead Mercedes – after Lewis Hamilton’s worst ever start to a season was confirmed at the Australian Grand Prix.
Carlos Sainz delivered the best drive of his career, just 16 days after surgery for appendicitis, to take advantage of Max Verstappen’s shock first retirement in two years to lead home a Ferrari one-two finish from Charles Leclerc.
But over at Mercedes, Hamilton’s afternoon ended on the 17th lap when his engine expired as team-mate George Russell crashed out.
Hamilton, who qualified 11th, has taken just eight points from the opening three rounds. His previous worst start to a season had been in 2009 when he was disqualified at the first round before finishing sixth and seventh.
Before Sunday’s retirement, Hamilton had begun the year by crossing the line only seventh and ninth in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia respectively.
Mercedes carried Hamilton – who is heading to Ferrari next year – to six of his seven world championships, but the British driver has not won a race since the penultimate round of the 2021 campaign, 58 rounds ago.
Last year, Hamilton finished second in Melbourne, but Russell, who was the fastest Mercedes driver in Melbourne this weekend, was only seventh when he crashed.
Wolff, who has been team principal at Mercedes since 2013, was asked if he should remain in his role.
“As a corner of this business, I need to make sure my contribution is positive and creative so I would be the first one to say if somebody has a better idea, tell me because I am invested to turn this team around as quickly as possible,” the 52-year-old replied.
“We have not swallowed a dumb pill since 2021. We don’t understand some of the behaviours of the car and in the past we would.
“I look at myself in the mirror every single day about everything I do and it is a fair question. But it (leaving) is not what I feel that I should do at the moment.
“But if you have any ideas as to who could turn this round, I would happily listen to that.
“The big difference is, this is my job and if you ask the manager question, I cannot go to Chelsea or Liverpool or over to Ferrari.
“I have not got that choice (as a co-owner of Mercedes) which is also unfortunate. I am not a contractor or an employee, who has said I have had enough of this. My hamster wheel keeps spinning and I cannot jump out.
“We always need to look at ourselves. I need to look at myself. And we are all humans. Data doesn’t take decisions; humans do.
“I would be lying if I said I feel positive and optimistic about the situation. You need to overcome the negative thoughts and say ‘we will turn it around’, but today it feels very, very, very brutal.”
Mercedes arrived for the new season armed with a car that they thought would enable them to return to the front. But the Silver Arrows are now behind not just Red Bull, but Ferrari and McLaren in the pecking order, too.
An honest Wolff continued: “We started this season in the belief that this car was better than last year.
“Everything I have done before, in finance and investment, you know which screws to turn and you know sometimes it takes time.
“Here, I don’t think we are missing things. It is just a complication that is happening with the car that we cannot see, and it is like an on-off switch.
“You see the progress that McLaren and Ferrari have made, so on one side, I want to punch myself on the nose. We have got to really dig deep because it is brutally painful.”
Despite his poor weekend in Melbourne, Hamilton was upbeat. His pain perhaps soothed by Ferrari’s impressive display at Albert Park.
“Surprisingly I feel pretty good,” said Hamilton, with Wolff also admitting his soon-to-be-departing driver “is looking over the fence” at Ferrari’s impressive performances.
“I’m trying to keep things in perspective because things could be so much worse.
“I’m still enjoying working with the team. Of course I’d like to be (competing for wins) but we will bounce back. We will eventually get there.
“It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and be focused on this one thing. But the bigger picture is definitely the focus. And also, just realising that you can’t control everything.
“It’s not great. I’m not happy. But I’m going to have a great day tomorrow.”
Despite the brake failure on lap four which ended his bid for a record-equalling 10 straight wins, Verstappen still remains in charge of the championship with a four-point lead over Leclerc, ahead of the next round in Japan on April 7.
McLaren not ready to challenge Red Bull...yet - Norris
Lando Norris says McLaren still need more time if they want to challenge Red Bull consistently after taking his maiden victory in the Miami Grand Prix.
Norris was helped by a well-timed safety car that allowed him to jump ahead of Max Verstappen in Miami to become just the third different driver to win a Grand Prix this season.
The 24-year-old currently sits fourth in the F1 drivers’ standings after three podium finishes, and he expects another competitive race at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday.
"I'm confident we can make steps forward, but I've made it clear we're not going to be there every weekend," Norris said.
"We need more if we are to challenge Red Bull and Ferrari more consistently.
"We definitely took a step forward, but other teams have upgrades, too. So, we're not getting ahead of ourselves.
"I still think we’re the third-best team at the moment, but that could change if we have another good weekend here, and I'm confident with our rate of development that by next year we can challenge a lot more often for wins and, in the big picture, challenge for the title."
Norris’ victory in Florida followed a major aerodynamic development to the McLaren, and he believes it will be an even better match to the track on Sunday.
"We are just better suited for Imola, potentially the upgrade a little bit as well,” he added.
"Imola has generally been one of our more successful tracks - and for me as driver."
Newey expects to join another team after Red Bull exit
Adrian Newey admits for the first time that he expects to join another F1 team when he leaves Red Bull.
The legendary designer will depart the team in early 2025 after 19 years and is free to join a rival outfit ahead of the 2026 season.
While he did not reveal where he might go, Ferrari are regarded as favourite to land Newey as he is known to have had conversations with a Ferrari representative, while other teams have also reportedly made their interest known.
In an interview with his manager Eddie Jordan, Newey admitted he is "seriously considering changing teams, going somewhere else and doing another four or five years or whatever."
He added: "I feel a bit tired at the moment, but at some point, I’ll probably go again."
Newey’s decision to leave Red Bull was influenced by the tumultuous period behind the scenes for the Formula One constructors’ champions.
Controversy surrounded team principal Christian Horner at the start of the season as he was accused of engaging in inappropriate controlling behaviour towards a female member of staff, accusations he denied and was cleared of following an independent investigation.
Newey reflected on the decision to leave after almost two decades with the club.
"To walk away from Red Bull was a very hard decision but it was one I needed to take for a whole host of reasons. They had been my family," he continued.
"I never really thought it would be big news so for it to be in all the flipping papers and on the telly was a bit of a shock."
Albon signs new long-term contract with Williams
Alex Albon has signed a new long-term deal with Williams, until the end of the 2026 season at least.
The Thai driver, whose existing contract was due to expire at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, has put pen to paper on fresh terms with the team he joined in 2022.
After finishing seventh in last season's World Constructors' Championship standings, Williams are ninth after a slow start to 2024.
While the length of the new deal is uncertain, it will take Albon into Formula One's new regulation period, which begins in 2026, and the 28-year-old is excited by Williams' future.
"This is a long-term project that I really believe in and want to play a key role in, which is why I have signed a multi-year contract," he said.
"The journey will take time, but I am confident we are building the right team to move forward and achieve great things in the years to come.
"It has been a difficult start to the year, but since joining Williams, we have made significant progress together, and I have seen huge changes happening behind the scenes to take us back to the front of the grid."
Team principal James Vowles added: "We are delighted to secure Alex's long-term future with Williams Racing.
"He has exceptional talent, technical input and dedication to the cause and this is a huge vote of confidence in Williams and the journey back to competitiveness that we are on.
"Since joining, Alex has consistently demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure, and signing him for the long-term is a big piece of the puzzle of moving us up the grid."
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