F1 2022: ‘It’s just so painful’ – Toto Wolff says Mercedes season has been like ‘Groundhog Day’

Toto Wolff admits Mercedes’ 2022 Formula One season has been a “painful” experience as they continue to claw back their pace deficit to Red Bull and Ferrari. Mercedes have won the last eight constructors’ championships in F1, plus the drivers’ titles, apart from Lewis Hamilton’s controversial loss to Max Verstappen last year. Ad However, the new regulations have seen them drop back behind Red Bull and Ferrari for the majority of the first half of the season.

Formula 1Hamilton ahead of 300th Grand Prix: Alonso was my toughest opponent12/08/2022 AT 09:56 “The truth is, it's just so painful and it's so difficult to live by your values and your doubt,” Wolff told Autosport. “You oscillate from depression to exuberance, and then the next day the other way around. And in a way that when you kind of think nothing that you do works, [it is] a bit of Groundhog Day.

“Then you make steps forward by looking at things and finding out they don't function at all, and then you know what doesn't go, and you go the other way and it functions. “All the things I've preached, all the things that you read in books that it's so hard, that it is so important to lose in order to thrive. It's just lived in real life so far.” George Russell is 85 points behind championship leader Verstappen whilst Lewis Hamilton is 112 points behind the Dutchman with nine races to go.

Mercedes appear to have closed the gap to the front in recent events although, with Russell taking a shock pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix. They are yet to win a race in 2022, which Wolff is hoping to change. “We managed to turn around,” said Wolff.