Adrian Newey remains a highly coveted option for numerous teams in the Formula 1 paddock, yet Toto Wolff has cast doubt on the notion that the British engineer could remedy Mercedes’ persistent issues.
Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes, has asserted that even the legendary Adrian Newey would struggle to rectify the challenges plaguing his team’s car.
Since the implementation of new technical regulations in 2022, the Brackley-based outfit has found itself unable to mount a serious challenge at the forefront of the Formula 1 grid.
In contrast, Red Bull Racing has asserted dominance with cars crafted by Newey. The reigning world champions have enjoyed an exceptional run, with their RB19 car from last season securing victories in nearly every Grand Prix, save one.
However, Red Bull Racing will soon bid adieu to Newey, who is set to depart the squad in early 2025.
When questioned about the potential interest of Mercedes in acquiring Newey’s services, Wolff downplayed the prospect, indicating that even someone of Newey’s caliber might struggle to address the team’s ongoing setbacks.
“He is an incredible engineer,” Wolff acknowledged in an interview with Sky Germany. “But at the moment, even the greatest magician would probably have a hard time solving our problems.”
Despite Mercedes’ efforts to revamp its car’s design last year with a radical concept change, the team’s performance has failed to meet expectations. Since the reintroduction of ground-effect cars in 2022, Mercedes has managed to secure just one Grand Prix victory out of 49 races.
“We changed the car, but the performance is still not good enough,” lamented Wolff, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by Mercedes in their quest for Formula 1 success.
“The others always take these steps forward and for us, it’s incredibly slow and unsatisfactory.
“It’s hair-tearing. You just have to admit [it] and it’s annoying that we keep falling back into situations where the same problem keeps occurring, and that is that we overheat the rear tyres.
“No explanations, no excuses. It’s just not good enough. Just keep arguing, keep developing and hopefully get on the right track like McLaren did last year.”
