The Mercedes principal on his respect and admiration for the British driver, who he says takes criticism on board, learns from his mistakes and can race beyond his 40s
For a man who leads the dominant force in modern Formula One, Toto Wolff makes scant concession to the trappings of success. Indeed, at home the Mercedes team principal, the architect of six consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ championship doubles, hosts only two pieces of F1 memorabilia.
Neither is chosen lightly, and while one reflects Mercedes’s iron grip on the sport, the other is more symbolic, more personal and instructive of the relationship he enjoys with the driver who has shared this journey to the top, Lewis Hamilton. Wolff’s respect for Hamilton is palpable, not least recently for his strong position on promoting racial equality and diversity. It has brought his driver criticism but the Austrian has only admiration for his stance.