How a key resignation attempt taught Wolff a valuable lesson - The Race

Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff has revealed one of the key lessons he learned from the way he handled Mercedes’ slump in fortunes after its dominant run of consecutive world championships. From 2014-2021 Mercedes won eight consecutive constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ titles during an unprecedented period of F1 dominance. But during the ground effect rules era from 2022-2025 it struggled to regularly compete for victories, and Wolff has admitted that adapting to a spell where Mercedes wasn’t as competitive taught him valuable lessons about how to manage the team - particularly when one of its key players tried to quit in late 2023. Wolff recalled the story in great detail when speaking at the Milken Institute Asia Summit 2026 in Singapore ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, explaining how his actions in front of the media had driven Mercedes’ technical director James Allison to want to leave the team. “A few years ago we won eight constructor championships in a row and suddenly the regs changed and we really crashed down,” Wolff told moderator Ray Dalio on stage at the event.