Why Mercedes boss Toto Wolff once felt ’embarrassed’ watching himself on Drive to Survive

Follow us on Google Discover

Drive to Survive has been one of the biggest successes Formula 1 has ever enjoyed and brought a completely new fanbase to the sport.

An influx of support has helped to produce a platform that never existed. Formula 1 has finally reached the younger audience.

It has captured some thrilling moments through the years, including Lewis Hamilton’s tense drivers’ championship battle with Max Verstappen in 2021.

It went down to the wire and sadly Mercedes were on the wrong end of the stick. Team boss Toto Wolff wasn’t afraid to share his feelings in front of the cameras.

Wolff was upset with Mercedes in 2021 after they suffered a poor start to the season, but they recovered enough to challenge for the crown.

Three disappointing years would follow before a split, with Wolff sending Hamilton an emotional message after their final race together.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton has ‘never really been happy’ with Mercedes decision Toto Wolff made in 2021

Toto Wolff felt ’embarrassed’ after watching the 2021 Drive to Survive series back

Emotions run high during title battles and 2021 was no exception. It may have been the greatest finale in history to some fans.

A final lap battle for the victory and the title at the same time was an almost once-in-a-lifetime event and one that left Wolff struggling to contain his emotions.

Executive producer of Drive to Survive Paul Martin admitted that the Austrian felt embarrassed after his appearance in 2021.

“I think that when Toto went back and watched the series, I think he felt a little bit embarrassed about some of it because he was so emotional about it,” he told Ten Pieces of Eight.

“And he felt like he didn’t want to particularly go there again [in season five]. So he, you know, didn’t take a year off, but didn’t quite give us as much as the next year; he was very conscious of what he had done.”

READ MORE: Mercedes chief shares the 2021 Lewis Hamilton performance that made the rest of the F1 grid ‘look silly’

Toto Wolff told Drive to Survive cameras that Mercedes needed to ‘plan’ before losing F1 title in 2021

2021 was the last season before the technical regulations were changed and the cars we know today hit the track.

It produced what we expect to see in 2025 as well – a mammoth title fight and risk-free development war between the teams.

Speaking during season four of the hit Netflix series, Wolff mentioned the need to ‘plan’ for the future. One which has yielded no championships since 2021.

“We haven’t got a crystal ball, but we need to plan the moves ahead and you need to think what to expect from your enemy,” he said.

“The ones that you fight hard for, where you come from a position where you don’t expect to win, these victories are very satisfying.”