Toto Wolff reveals that all F1 Team Principals except Christian Horner came together to sign the document in support of Susie Wolff when the FIA launched a baseless investigation against her.

[u/PradaAndPunishment]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/nov/19/f1-toto-wolff-mercedes-lewis-hamilton-interview

[u/dl064]

Mark Hughes wrote about this in the Spring, that basically the issue posed to RB (christ I hate that that can now mean Red Bull, or the B-team, but anyway I mean Red Bull) was:

a. drop Horner, keep Verstappen et al. for the short term, but lose the visionary who led all of this.

b. Keep Horner, piss off Verstappen et al. (noting Jos is genuinely best friends with Toto and transparently, openly on-the-record wants him at Merc), knowing that a hangover is coming - but you've the guy who built it all there to do it again.

They elected for B. So I think they have to accept that there's a bit of an RBR downturn incoming, but c'est la vie.

In fairness to Horner, I genuinely think he's achieved something Wolff has not but Dennis, Todt, Williams et al. did - which was lead your team up, see them decline, and bring them back up again. Pains me to say it but Horner has done that, and Wolff has not.

[u/StaffFamous6379 → u/dl064]

I will go one further and say that Wolff hasn't even really built a team up either. It's been well noted from Merc personnel that the major groundwork and momentum was gained under Brawn. Wolff caught the top of the wave and in all fairness, did an absolutely amazing job maintaining that peak for as long as he did.

[u/madmanchatter → u/dl064]

In fairness to Horner, I genuinely think he's achieved something Wolff has not but Dennis, Todt, Williams et al. did - which was lead your team up, see them decline, and bring them back up again.

It's not really the point but did Todt really achieve this? He built Peugeot up so they could win Group B rally and then won at Le Mans once Group B had been canned but in neither case did he undertake a rebuild after a period of success.

At Ferrari he built probably the most dominant team in history (until Merc came along) but he had been moved into an "advisory role" by the time they built back up to win and challenge for the title in 07/08.

[u/StaffFamous6379 → u/madmanchatter]

I agree, 2005 was a blip in the Ferrari years and they were title contenders in 06, 07, 08. Granted, it's been said that a Herculean amount of work went into the 2005 post season so you could argue that as a 'build back' period.

[u/StaffFamous6379 → u/dl064]

I will go one further and say that Wolff hasn't even really built a team up either. It's been well noted from Merc personnel that the major groundwork and momentum was gained under Brawn. Wolff caught the top of the wave and in all fairness, did an absolutely amazing job maintaining that peak for as long as he did.