Toto Wolff: We are Mercedes, our goal is to win and win titles.

      Before leaving for Australia, Toto Wolff, the head of the Mercedes team, gave an interview to the Austrian TV channel ORF1, sharing his expectations for the upcoming season.

      Q: Do you feel any strange feelings when you see Lewis Hamilton, who has won six titles, driving Mercedes cars in a Ferrari uniform?Toto Wolff: At first, the very thought of it seemed strange, I couldn't imagine how he would look in red after so many years in Mercedes. But nowadays everything is changing very quickly, and now he is wearing a Ferrari jumpsuit and piloting their cars. Now this picture seems quite normal to me.

      Q: What did you think about when you saw the very first photo of Lewis in a black suit in front of the Ferrari headquarters in Maranello?Toto Wolff: There was something special about the photo in which he was dressed up like the hero of the movie "The Godfather." I told him later, "I've been trying to get you to wear a suit for 12 years, and you dressed up in it on your very first day at Ferrari." We both had a good laugh about it then!

      Q: But now Lewis has become one of your team's serious rivals.…Toto Wolff: It's not that bad. We remain great friends. On a human level, I wish him every success, but on the track we want to beat him.

      Q: Mercedes lacked stability last year, but what about the expectations ahead of the new season?Toto Wolff: We lost the most points in the first half of 2024 because we couldn't get the right speed out of the car. But in the second half of the year we won four races and regularly fought in the front ranks.

      Our goal remains the same: to fight for victory in both World Cup competitions. But now the rivalry has intensified even more, and this year any of the top four teams can win. Our riders can be in first place or eighth.

      A separate challenge is that we have to modernize the car and at the same time prepare for 2026, when huge changes will take place in Formula 1. Therefore, we will have to act very flexibly and thoughtfully. We are Mercedes, and our goal will always remain the same – to fight for victories and titles. Given our team's reputation, we can't afford anything else.

      Q: Who do you consider to be the favorite of the upcoming season?Toto Wolff: After the Bahrain test, the balance of power among the top four teams remains about the same as it was: Lando Norris will probably have a slight advantage over all of them on one fastest lap. If we analyze the results of the race simulations, then both McLaren drivers are definitely ahead, and Max Verstappen, us and the Ferrari drivers should be right behind them.

      Question: What can you say about Kimi Antonelli, your debutant?Toto Wolff: We started working with him when he was 11 years old. Since then, he has won in all categories in which he competed (Wolff is somewhat exaggerating: at the end of last season in F2, Antonelli took 6th place, winning only two races). In addition, he drove 11,000 km in Formula 1 cars from previous years.

      Nevertheless, when you find yourself in the arena of the circus, whose name is Formula 1, and you are only 18 years old, you need to act wisely so as not to lose ground. That's why we're trying to keep expectations low for now.

      Q: There are rumors that your wife, Suzy Wolff, is going to stand as a candidate for the next FIA presidential election.…Toto Wolff: I'm not aware of that. Susie is an experienced entrepreneur and manager, but if someone starts spreading such rumors now, it's only to provoke some unhealthy resonance.

      If we talk about the current president of the FIA, then there are painful topics on which there is no agreement between us. But on some other issues, such as swearing, we generally share his opinion. We have a gentleman's sport, and we must be an example in everything. Children should not hear how our racers constantly swear.