Bottas: Wolff’s “super competitive” nature helped Mercedes to where it is now

F1 News

11 January 2020 at 17:49
  • Bevan Youl

Valtteri Bottas has said that the “super competitive” nature of Toto Wolff has been a big contribution to Mercedes’ success of recent times that has seen them win six constructors and drivers titles in a row.

Bottas joined Mercedes for the start of the 2017 season from Williams after Nico Rosberg departed from the sport after winning his sole World Championship.
 
Since then the Finn, alongside Lewis Hamilton, has helped the Silver Arrows to another three constructors titles (2017,2018 & 2019) under leadership from Wolff.
 
“I think he [Toto] has made a very important contribution to where the team is now,” Bottas said to F1 Racing.
 
“I think the way he runs everything, the way he motivates the team and pushes forward – it is just in him that he’s super-competitive.
 
“Nothing is ever enough – he always wants more from the people around him.
 
“He can be very tough to the people he really cares about and wants to do well. He’s very direct.
 
“He always pushes you forwards and doesn’t mind saying things he thinks someone can do better. Which is good. He’s a perfectionist.
 
“If he sees something that can be done better, he makes sure it is done better.”
 
Despite the ‘toughness’ from Wolff, Bottas claims it helps the team learn from their mistakes and that the Austrian desk is the only thing that takes a “hammering”.
 
“It’s a good thing,” added Bottas.
 
“We get to talk about these things if we feel we need to, and we get to learn from it – which is the way to go forward, to learn from mistakes and do better in the future.
 
“The only thing is that his [Toto’s] desk in the garage sometimes gets a bit of a hammering. And then the footage goes straight on the internet…”