Why Toto Wolff was left ‘upset’ with his Mercedes team during 2021 title fight

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Mercedes have failed to recover from the slump they suffered at the start of the current Formula 1 technical regulations and haven’t won a title for three years now.

Next season they will introduce a new driver to their ranks after Lewis Hamilton opted to leave the team to join arch-rivals Ferrari.

Kimi Antonelli has been set the really important goal by Mercedes of making sure that he has fun in his rookie season.

Few are expecting him to deliver to the level of Hamilton, but he has plenty of promise and could shock people up against seasoned teammate George Russell.

Antonelli’s attitude was impeccable in his first official Mercedes test and shows that he could be the future of the Brackley-based outfit.

Right now they feel a very long way from their last dominant season in 2020, when they produced one of the most dominant Formula 1 cars of all time.

Toto Wolff was upset after Mercedes had a poor start to 2021 F1 season

Mercedes’ undisputed run of dominance looked in major danger at the start of the 2021 season after a very difficult pre-season test in Bahrain.

They bounced back before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix though and were able to compete for victory after finding some improvements.

READ MORE: Toto Wolff has already delivered ‘inexcusable’ message Kimi Antonelli must heed ahead of his 2025 F1 debut

Speaking to Netflix’s Drive to Survive cameras (Season four, Episode four), Toto Wolff was ruthless in his assessment of his team’s performances and it was something which left him upset this time.

“We are ruthless in the analysis of our own performances and that’s why I’m upset, but the rational me, is able to channelize that and take over from the emotional me,” he said.

“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.

“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.”

Can Mercedes compete for the F1 title again in 2025?

Mercedes’ problem is that they face a tricky dilemma when it comes to their development plans for the 2025 season.

There’s a chance that they will have a race-winning and potentially title-contending car, but they might have to give up on it earlier than they would like to.

The 2026 F1 regulations are where long-term success is up for grabs and turning their attention to that could be far more profitable.

READ MORE: Helmut Marko warns Kimi Antonelli his F1 career will be ‘in danger’ if he does one thing at Mercedes

Using 2025 to build the foundations for Antonelli’s future will be important as he could end up being Max Verstappen’s main challenger for years to come.

If Ferrari and McLaren struggle to find improvements over the winter, there’s every chance that Mercedes could be a dark horse for both championships in 2025.