In the constructors’ championship in 2023, Mercedes defeated Ferrari by three points, but Toto Wolff has acknowledged that both teams are viewed as “losers” in this matchup.

Mercedes and Ferrari’s battle for second place was resolved at the 2023 Formula 1 season’s last race, but even with the victory, Mercedes still had a sizable 451-point deficit to Red Bull.

Wolff, the principal of the Mercedes team, stated that the person who finished in second place in the constructors’ championship would have still been a loser as a result of this.

When asked which he preferred, finishing third with a victory or second without a win, Wolff said, “Both losers.” “Being in third place due to the wind tunnel time is preferable, and it is preferable to be second for the cash and bonuses.

“You can’t always have what you want, but Ferrari has 7% more than us and we would have had 14% more than Red Bull [if we finished third].” You’re after the extra wind tunnel time and bonuses.”

2024 Mercedes
Wolff discussed his expectations for the 2024 season on the F1 Nation Podcast, voicing optimism that it will be a huge step up from the difficult season they faced in 2023.

Wolff compared Mercedes’ potential to Aston Martin’s revolutionary breakthrough at the beginning of the 2023 season, saying the latter could make a big leap.

“I thought it was great that Aston Martin was competitive early in the season,” Wolff remarked. “Because that demonstrated, to us at least, that the rear end is not the issue. The issue is not with the gearbox. The issue is not with the engine. The issue is not with the rear suspension.

“We need to look elsewhere, which is why I prefer teams that have similar standards. Not just throwing on a tenth of the downforce, and this is precisely what we must discover.

We shall therefore take a two and a half second step.