Emva komsebenzi othobekileyo njengomqhubi, apho uloyiso olukhulu lwaba yindawo yokuqala (kwinqanaba lakhe) kwi-1994 Nürburgring 24 Hours, UToto Wolff ngoku ngobona buso baziwayo kwaye ngomnye wabantu ababalulekileyo kwiFomula 1.
Inkokeli yeqela kunye ne-CEO yeQela le-Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1, uWolf, ngoku oneminyaka engama-49 ubudala, uthathwa ngabaninzi njengenye yeenkokeli ezinkulu kwimbali yeFormula 1, okanye wayengenguye omnye wabo banoxanduva lwehlabathi elisixhenxe. izihloko zabakhi beqela leentolo zesilivere, impumelelo eyodwa kwiminyaka engaphezu kwama-70 yembali yeFomula 1.
Kwi-Razão Automóvel ekhethekileyo, siye sathetha nesigqeba sase-Austrian kwaye saxoxa ngezihloko ezahlukeneyo njengekamva leFomula 1, iToto ekholelwa ukuba idlula kumafutha azinzileyo kunye nokubaluleka kwemidlalo yeemoto kubavelisi.
Kodwa siphinde sachukumisa imiba enobuzaza ngakumbi, efana nesiqalo esibi sikaValtteri Bottas kwisizini, ikamva likaLewis Hamilton kwiqela kunye nomzuzu weRed Bull Racing, uToto awujonga njengenzuzo.
Kwaye ke, ewe, sathetha ngeGrand Prix ezayo yasePortugal, eyona nto ibangela ukuba olu dliwano-ndlebe kunye "nomphathi" weQela leMercedes-AMG Petronas F1, eliphethe ngokulinganayo kunye ne-INEOS kunye noDaimler. AG, isinye kwisithathu sezabelo zeqela.
I-Automobile Ratio (RA) - Idale elinye lawona maqela aphumeleleyo kwimbali yezemidlalo, kwinqanaba apho ngokuqhelekileyo kukho imijikelo kwaye amaqela aphuka emva kwexesha elithile. Yeyiphi imfihlo enkulu emva kwempumelelo yeqela leMercedes-AMG Petronas?
UToto Wolff (TW) - Kutheni umjikelo uphela? Izifundo zexesha elidlulileyo zindixelela ukuba kungenxa yokuba abantu bavumela inkuthazo kunye namanqanaba amandla ukuba atshone. Utshintsho kugxininiso, ukutshintshwa kwezinto eziphambili, wonke umntu ufuna ukwenza imali kwimpumelelo, kwaye utshintsho olukhulu ngequbuliso kwimigaqo lushiya iqela libhentsisiwe kwaye abanye bakwinzuzo.
Le yinto ebesiyixoxa ixesha elide: yintoni emele yoyise? Xa usiya yekhasino, umzekelo, kwaye ebomvu iphuma izihlandlo ezisixhenxe emgceni, oko akuthethi ukuba ixesha lesibhozo iza kuphuma emnyama. Isenokuphuma ibomvu kwakhona. Ngoko ke minyaka le, iqela ngalinye linethuba lokuphumelela kwakhona. Kwaye ayisekelwanga kuwo nawuphi na umjikelo ongaqhelekanga.
Imijikelo ivela kwizinto ezifana nabantu, iimpawu kunye neentshukumisa. Kwaye thina, ukuza kuthi ga ngoku, siphumelele ukuyigcina loo nto. Kodwa oku akuqinisekisi ukuba uya kuphumelela yonke intshinga othatha inxaxheba kuyo. Loo nto ayikho kwezemidlalo okanye kulo naliphi na elinye ishishini.
I-RA - Ngaba kulula ukugcina wonke umntu ekhuthazwa, unyaka nonyaka, okanye ngaba kuyimfuneko ukudala iinjongo ezincinci ngexesha?
TW — Akululanga ukuba nenkuthazo unyaka nonyaka kuba kulula kakhulu: ukuba uphupha ngokuphumelela wandule ke uphumelele, oko kuyandoyisa. Bonke abantu bayalingana, okukhona uba nako, kokukhona iba yinto ekhethekileyo. Ndicinga ukuba kubaluleke kakhulu ukuba sikhumbule ngamaxesha onke indlela ekhethekileyo ngayo. Kwaye siye saba nethamsanqa kwixesha elidlulileyo.
UToto WolffAbaqhubi benza umahluko omkhulu ukuba uneemoto ezimbini ezifanayo.
Minyaka le ‘sasivuswa’ kukoyiswa. Kwaye ngokukhawuleza sacinga: Andiyithandi le nto, andithandi ukulahlekelwa. Kubuhlungu kakhulu. Kodwa uphinda ucinge ngento omawuyenze ukuze woyise le mvakalelo imbi. Kwaye isisombululo kuphela kukuphumelela.
Sikwindawo entle, kodwa xa ndisiva ndisitsho njalo, ndiqala ukucinga: ok, sele ucinga ukuba singabo 'bakhulu' kwakhona, akunjalo. Kufuneka ukhumbule ukuba awukwazi ukuthatha nantoni na, kuba abanye benza umsebenzi omhle.
RA - Kweli xesha liqalayo, iRed Bull Racing izibonakalisa yomelele kunakwiminyaka edlulileyo. Ukongeza, uMax Verstappen uqole ngakumbi kunangaphambili kwaye "iCzech" Pérez ngumqhubi okhawulezayo kwaye ongatshintshiyo. Ucinga ukuba eli inokuba lelona xesha linzima kule minyaka mihlanu idlulileyo?
TW Kwakukho amaxesha onyaka anzima. Ndikhumbula i-2018, umzekelo, kunye noFerrari kunye neVettel. Kodwa kule bhuthi ndibona imoto kunye neyunithi yombane ebonakala ngathi yongamile kune'package' yakwaMercedes. Oku akuzange kwenzeke kwixesha elidlulileyo.
Bekukho imidyarho ebesingangxamanga kuyo, kodwa xa kuqala isizini sibona ukuba bayasibeka. Yinto ekufuneka siyifikelele kwaye siyoyise.
RA - Ngaba ngexesha elifana neli, apho bangenayo imoto ekhawulezayo, ukuba italente kaLewis Hamilton inokwenza umehluko kwakhona?
TW — Abaqhubi benza umahluko omkhulu ukuba uneemoto ezimbini ezifanayo. Apha banomqhubi omncinci osakhulayo kwaye ngokucacileyo unetalente ekhethekileyo.
Kwaye kukho uLewis, oyintshatsheli yehlabathi ngokuphindwe kasixhenxe, obambe irekhodi kugqatso oluphumeleleyo, obambe irekhodi kwizikhundla zepali, onenani lezihloko ezilingana noMichael Schumacher, kodwa osahamba ngamandla. Yiyo loo nto ingumlo omkhulu.
I-RA - Ixesha alizange liqale kakuhle kuValtteri Bottas kwaye ubonakala eqhubela phambili ekuziqinisekiseni. Ngaba ucinga ukuba uya etyhola ngakumbi uxinzelelo lokuba 'abonise inkonzo'?
TW - UValtteri ungumqhubi olungileyo kakhulu kwaye ungumntu obalulekileyo kwiqela. Kodwa kwiimpelaveki ezimbalwa ezidlulileyo khange aphile. Kufuneka sisiqonde isizathu sokuba singenakumnika imoto aziva ekhululekile ngayo. Ndizama ukufumana iingcaciso zaloo nto nokuba sikwazi ukumnika izixhobo azidingayo ukuba akhawuleze, yinto ayenzayo.
RA - Ngohlahlo lwabiwo-mali olusele lukhona kwi-2021 kwaye luya kuncipha ngokuthe ngcembe kwiminyaka embalwa ezayo, kwaye iMercedes-AMG Petronas ibe yenye yamaqela amakhulu, iya kuba yinto echaphazelekayo. Ucinga ukuba oku kuya kuba nefuthe elinjani kukhuphiswano? Ngaba siza kuyibona iMercedes-AMG ingena kwezinye iindidi ukuze iphinde isasaze abasebenzi bayo?
TW ngumbuzo omkhulu. Ndicinga ukuba uhlahlo lwabiwo-mali lubalulekile kuba luyasikhusela kuthi. Ukuzingela amaxesha e-lap kuye kwafikelela kumanqanaba angazinzanga, apho utyala izigidi kunye nezigidi zee-euro 'kumdlalo' weshumi lesibini. Iisilingi zohlahlo lwabiwo-mali ziya kunciphisa iyantlukwano 'kwindlela yokusebenza' phakathi kwamaqela. Kwaye oku kuhle kakhulu. Ukhuphiswano kufuneka lulinganiswe. Andiqondi ukuba umdlalo unokuphatha iqela eliyintshatsheli izihlandlo ezili-10 zilandelelana.
UToto WolffAndiqinisekanga ukuba ziya kuba ngamafutha enziweyo (aza kusetyenziswa kwiFomula 1), kodwa ndicinga ukuba aya kuba ngamafutha azinzileyo.
Kodwa kwangaxeshanye siyayilwela. Ngokumalunga nokuhanjiswa kwabantu, sijonge kuzo zonke iindidi. SineFormula E, iqela layo esele safudukela eBrackley, apho sele besebenza khona. Sine 'ngalo' yethu yobunjineli, ebizwa ngokuba yiMercedes-Benz Applied Science, apho sisebenza kwizikhephe zokhuphiswano ze-INEOS, iibhayisekile, iiprojekthi zentshukumo yezithuthi kunye neeteksi eziqhutywa ngenqwelomoya.
Sifumene imisebenzi enomdla yabantu ekhoyo ngokuzimeleyo. Bavelisa iingeniso kwaye basinike iimbono ezahlukeneyo.
RA — Ngaba uyakholelwa ukuba kunokwenzeka ukuba iFomula 1 kunye neFomula E zisondele kwixesha elizayo?
TW andazi. Esi sisigqibo ekufuneka senziwe yiLiberty Media kunye neLiberty Global. Ewe, imisitho yedolophu efana neFomula 1 kunye neFomula E inokunceda ukunciphisa iindleko. Kodwa ndicinga ukuba esi sisigqibo semali kuphela ekufuneka sithathwe ngabo banoxanduva lwazo zombini iindidi.
RA — Kutshanje sibonile iHonda isithi ayifuni kuqhubeka nokubheja kwiFormula 1 kwaye sibone uBWM eyishiya iFormula E. Ucinga ukuba abanye abavelisi abasakholelwa kwimidlalo yeemoto?
TW Ndicinga ukuba abakhi beza kwaye bahambe. Sibonile ukuba kwiFormula 1 kunye neBMW, Toyota, Honda, Renault… Izigqibo zinokuhlala zitshintsha. Iinkampani zihlala zivavanya amandla okuthengisa ezemidlalo kunye nokuhanjiswa komfanekiso okuvumelayo. Kwaye ukuba abayithandi, kulula ukuyishiya.
Ezi zigqibo zinokwenziwa ngokukhawuleza okukhulu. Kodwa kumaqela azalelwe ukukhuphisana, kwahlukile. KwaMercedes, kugxilwe ekukhuphisaneni nokuba neemoto endleleni. Imoto yokuqala kaMercedes yayiyimoto yokhuphiswano. Yiyo loo nto ingumsebenzi wethu ophambili.
I-RA - Ngaba ucinga ukuba iifutha zokwenziwa ziya kuba likamva leFomula 1 kunye ne-motorsport?
I-TW - andiqinisekanga ukuba iya kuba ngamafutha okwenziwa, kodwa ndicinga ukuba iya kuba ngamafutha azinzileyo. I-biodegradable ngaphezu kwamafutha enziweyo, kuba amafutha okwenziwa abiza kakhulu. Inkqubo yophuhliso kunye nemveliso inzima kwaye ibiza kakhulu.
Ke ndibona ngaphezulu kwexesha elizayo lihamba ngamafutha azinzileyo asekelwe kwezinye izithako. Kodwa ndicinga ukuba ukuba siza kuqhubeka nokusebenzisa iinjini zokutsha zangaphakathi, kufuneka siyenze ngamafutha azinzileyo.
RA - Lo ngunyaka wesibini olandelelanayo ukuba iPortugal ibambe iFomula 1. Ucinga ntoni nge-Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, ePortimão, kwaye ucinga ntoni ngelizwe lethu?
TW — Ndiyithanda kakhulu iPortimão. Ndiyayazi isekethe kumaxesha am eDTM. Ndikhumbula ukuba sathatha uvavanyo lokuqala lukaPascal Wehrlein lweFormula 1 phaya kwiMercedes. Kwaye ngoku, ukubuyela kugqatso lweFormula 1 bekumnandi ngenene. IPortugal lilizwe elimangalisayo.
Ndifuna ngokwenene ukubuyela elizweni kwindawo eqhelekileyo, kuba kuninzi okubonayo nokwenza. Ukusuka kwindawo yokujonga umdyarho, yingoma elunge ngenene, kumnandi ukuyiqhuba kwaye kumnandi ukuyibukela.
RA — Bubuphi ubunzima obukhoyo kule ndlela kubaqhubi beenqwelo-moya? Ngaba kwakunzima ngokukhethekileyo ukulungiselela ugqatso lonyaka ophelileyo, njengoko kungekho zimbekiselo zeminyaka engaphambili?
I-TW - Ewe, loo nto yayilucelomngeni, ukulungiselela umkhondo omtsha kunye nesiphaluka esinamahla ndinyuka. Kodwa sayithanda. Inyanzela ukwenziwa kwezigqibo okuzenzekelayo, okusekwe kwidatha kunye nokusabela okungakumbi. Kwaye kulo nyaka kuya kuba njalo. Kuba asinayo idata eqokelelweyo yeminye iminyaka. I-asphalt igxininise kakhulu kwaye uyilo lomkhondo luhluke kakhulu kwinto esiyaziyo.
Sinemidyarho emithathu enoyilo olwahluke kakhulu kule sizini iqalayo, masibone okulandelayo.
RA - Kodwa ujonge kwi-layout ye-Portuguese Grand Prix, ucinga ukuba yisekethe apho imoto ye-Mercedes-AMG Petronas ingabonakala yomelele?
TW Kunzima ukuthetha ngoku. Ndicinga ukuba iRed Bull Racing ibinamandla kakhulu. Sabona uLando Norris (McLaren) esenza ukufaneleka okumangalisayo kwi-Imola. IiFerrari zikufutshane ngasemva. Unokuba neeMercedes ezimbini, iiRed Bull ezimbini, iiMcLaren ezimbini kunye neeFerrari ezimbini. Yonke into inokhuphiswano kakhulu kwaye ilungile.
I-RA - Ukubuyela kwi-2016, yayilawula njani ubudlelwane phakathi kukaLewis Hamilton noNico Rosberg? Ngaba yayingomnye weyona mingeni mikhulu yomsebenzi wakho?
TW — Eyona nto yayinzima kum kukuba ndandimtsha kulo mdlalo. Kodwa ndawuthanda umngeni. Abantu ababini abomeleleyo kunye nabalinganiswa ababini ababefuna ukuba ziintshatsheli zehlabathi. Ekukhuseleni kukaLewis, asimnikanga eyona nto iqinileyo kulo nyaka. Wayenokusilela kwe-injini ezininzi, enye yazo xa wayekhokela eMalaysia, eyayinokumnika ubuntshatsheli.
Kodwa ndicinga ukuba asiqhubanga kakuhle kwimidyarho edlulileyo. Sazama ukuthintela imiphumo engathandekiyo size sibayeke, kodwa oko kwakungeyomfuneko. Bekufanele ukuba sibayeke baqhube kwaye balwele ubuntshatsheli. Kwaye ukuba iphele ngongquzulwano, iphele ngongquzulwano. Sasilawula kakhulu.
I-RA - Ukuhlaziywa kwekhontrakthi kunye noLewis Hamilton babambe abantu abaninzi ngokumangalisa njengoko kwakungonyaka omnye kuphela. Ngaba lo yayingumnqweno wabo bobabini? Ngaba oku kuthetha ukuba ukuba uHamilton uphumelele isihlandlo sesibhozo kulo nyaka le inokuba lixesha lokugqibela lomsebenzi wakhe?
TW — Bekubalulekile kuwo omabini amaqela. Kuye, bekubalulekile ukumshiyela lo mda ukuze enze isigqibo ngento afuna ukuyenza ngomsebenzi wakhe. Iimbasa zehlabathi ezisixhenxe, ezilingana nerekhodi likaMichael Schumacher, azikholeleki. Kodwa ngokuzama irekhodi elipheleleyo, ndicinga ukuba kwakubalulekile kuye ukuba abe nenkululeko yengqondo yokugqiba ngento afuna ukuyenza.
Kodwa phakathi kokulwela isiwonga sesithoba ekugqibeleni okanye kumdlalo wempinda ukuba andinakuphumelela esi, ndicinga ukuba uya kuhlala nathi okwethutyana. Kwaye sifuna ukuba naye emotweni. Kuninzi kakhulu ekufuneka kuphunyezwe.
"Isekisi enkulu" yeFormula 1 ibuyela ePortugal - kunye ne-Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, ePortimão - ngalo Lwesihlanu, kunye neseshoni yokuqala yokuziqhelanisa yasimahla ecwangciselwe u-11:30 am. Kwikhonkco elingezantsi ungajonga zonke iithayimthebhile ukuze ungaphoswa nantoni na ukusuka kwinqanaba lesiPhuthukezi leFomula yeNdebe yeHlabathi yoku-1.