Multi-million dollar classic cars in the principality, worry lines in Brackley – how Toto Wolff is getting ready for the new era and why he is playing it cool before the start of the season
Before the Formula 1 schedule dictates where to go again, Toto and Susie Wolff are treating themselves to a stylish break in the principality. The Mercedes boss and the F1 Academy boss were spotted in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster in Monaco.
The car, built between 1957 and 1963, is the direct successor to the legendary gullwing model, which is also said to be in Wolff’s private garage. The roadster is not only a feast for the eyes, but also an investment. Experts estimate the price for well-preserved models at around $1.1 million to $1.7 million.
Only 1,858 units rolled off the production line at the time. Under the long hood is a three-liter inline six-cylinder engine with 215 hp, which accelerates the classic car to 100 km/h in 8.9 seconds. These figures are likely to elicit only a weary smile in the performance-oriented world of Formula 1.
However, there is hardly a more stylish way to cruise along the Côte d’Azur. It is no secret that Wolff has a soft spot for special cars. According to reports, his private collection includes the Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar, as well as various icons from Maranello such as the Ferrari F40, the Enzo, and the LaFerrari.
The fear of a false start
But this relaxed outing is likely to be one of the last quiet moments before the start of the 2026 season. The new regulations are just around the corner: a situation that Mercedes knew how to exploit perfectly in the past (2014) to usher in an era of dominance. Expectations for the team are correspondingly high. However, Toto Wolff wouldn’t be Toto Wolff if he didn’t immediately dampen those expectations. While fans hope for a repeat of the hybrid fairy tale, the Viennese is practicing purposeful pessimism.
“I would very much like that,” Wolff commented on the high expectations in a Mercedes debrief. “But I am a notorious pessimist. For me, the glass is always half empty rather than half full.”
“Have we missed the crucial trick?”
The uncertainty ahead of the first test drives is palpable. Although ambitious goals have been set for both the chassis and the engine, it remains to be seen whether these will be enough. “Were these goals ambitious enough? Have we perhaps overlooked a crucial trick? Will our implementation be as flawless as it needs to be? I don’t know,” Wolff admitted with unusual candor.
The team boss does not expect to have any real answers until the end of January. “We will see the first signs of how the balance of power is distributed during the tests and then in Bahrain,” said Wolff. However, he warns that the start of the season is not everything. “The be-all and end-all this season will be the constant development of the tools.”
While Toto Wolff is still fine-tuning the performance of the Silver Arrows, Susie Wolff already has the start of the season in her sights. As managing director of the F1 Academy, she is looking forward to the start of the women’s junior racing series, which will take place from March 13 to 15 at the Shanghai International Circuit in China.