Angry Wolff determined to lead Lewis to title No8

TOTO WOLFF arrived in Las Vegas for Formula One’s big moment on the Strip, contemplating how he will scale down his role at Mercedes. But before doing so he is determined to help Lewis Hamilton to a record eighth world title.

The Mercedes team principal says ‘anger’ motivates him to deliver for Hamilton, 38, after his star driver was denied the championship so controversially in Abu Dhabi two years ago. Since then the Silver Arrows have been blown apart by Red Bull and have won just one race. Despite their troubles, Wolff is already eyeing a day when he will skip as many as 10 grands prix a year and, presumably, delegate more responsibility to his PR chief, Bradley Lord, and his driver development director, Jerome D’Ambrosio. Wolff, 51, revealed that he wants to remain team principal but explained: ‘The clear aim is to build a structure for the future. A stone could fall on my head and how does it look afterwards? That is why I would like to see myself in a few years maybe not going to 24 races, and just to 15. ‘But that is many years away. I see myself in this role for a long time. I cannot imagine doing something else.’ Next month will mark two years since that night in Abu Dhabi when race director Michael Masi freelanced the safety car rules, allowing Max Verstappen to pounce for the first of his three successive world titles. ‘I have a personal anger and drive to make Lewis win the eighth title because he should have had it,’ Wolff added. ‘There’s a big part of us that will always want to be a part of undoing 2021.’