F1 News
Toto Wolff: Michael Schumacher has a “large share” in Mercedes’ success
- Bevan Youl
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says that a “large share” of their current success is down to Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher’s involvement in increasing the teams budget alongside Silver Arrows motorsport boss Norbert Haug.
Schumacher had retired from F1 in 2006 after 15 years behind the wheel saw him win seven World Championships and 91 races throughout his career.
But the German made a return to the grid in 2010 with Mercedes, who took over Brawn GP, for three seasons.
During his time there Schumacher lobbied with the Mercedes board in 2012 with support from Haug for a bigger budget forthe team to provide more resources going into the 2013 season, when Wolff was appointed.
“Michael has a large share [in Mercedes' success]," Wolff told Motorsport-Total.
"If BrawnGP had not existed, and without Norbert's vision of a team of his own, with Michael as its star driver, our success story would not have existed.
"The change in the perception of the board for our project took place at the end of 2012 and at the beginning of 2013."
Mercedes made contact with Wolff in 2012, who was a shareholder in Williams, about how the manufacturer could become a winning team, with the Austrian giving an realistic assessment.
"As an external person, I was asked to make a comparison as to whether the organization and resources of the Mercedes team could meet their own expectations in order to win the world championship,” he added.
"There was a gap between their expectations and what was actually possible. The budget increase took place in 2013.
"The view I presented at the time was: 'We can go on like this. Then my realistic assessment would be somewhere between third and sixth place.
“Or we can take a step towards Red Bull. Then I think that over the years, with the new 2014 regulations, we can fight for the world championship."
Wolff joined Mercedes and helped create their recent, dominant success, but states it couldn’t have been done without Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche’s investment.
"This decision had to be made, and that decision was made by Dieter Zetsche and his colleagues on the board. In poker you would say: 'All in!',” he said.
"We have repaid this trust, not only with the success on the track, but also with the financial incentives that came with it.
"The price-performance ratio of our commitment is very good today."