Ngemva komsebenzi onesizotha njengomshayeli, lapho ukunqoba okukhulu kwaba yindawo yokuqala (esigabeni sakhe) kuma-Nürburgring 24 Hours ka-1994, UToto Wolff okwamanje ungobunye bobuso obubonakala kakhulu futhi obunye babantu ababaluleke kakhulu kuFomula 1.
Umholi weqembu kanye no-CEO we-Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, uWolf, manje oneminyaka engu-49 ubudala, uthathwa abaningi njengomunye wabaholi abakhulu emlandweni we-Formula 1, noma wayengeyena yini omunye walabo ababenomthwalo wemfanelo emhlabeni oyisikhombisa. izihloko zeqembu labakhi bemicibisholo yesiliva, impumelelo eyingqayizivele eminyakeni engaphezu kuka-70 yomlando we-Formula 1.
Ku-Razão Automóvel ekhethekile, sikhulume nesikhulu sase-Austria futhi saxoxa ngezihloko ezihluke njengekusasa le-Formula 1, i-Toto ekholelwa ukuthi idlula kumafutha aqhubekayo nokubaluleka kwezemidlalo yezimoto kubakhiqizi.
Kodwa siphinde sathinta izindaba ezibucayi kakhulu, ezifana nokuqala kabi kukaValtteri Bottas kwesizini, ikusasa likaLewis Hamilton eqenjini kanye nomzuzu kaRed Bull Racing, uToto awubheka njengenzuzo.
Futhi-ke, yiqiniso, sikhulume nge-Grand Prix yasePortugal ezayo, okuyisizathu esiyinhloko esishukumise le ngxoxo "nomphathi" we-Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, ephethe izingxenye ezilinganayo ne-INEOS kanye noDaimler. AG, ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yamasheya eqembu.
I-Automobile Ratio (RA) - Idale elinye lamaqembu aphumelele kakhulu emlandweni wezemidlalo, esigabeni lapho kuvame ukuba khona imijikelezo futhi amaqembu ephule ngemva kwesikhathi esithile. Iyiphi imfihlo enkulu yempumelelo yeqembu leMercedes-AMG Petronas?
U-Toto Wolff (TW) - Kungani umjikelezo uphela? Izifundo zesikhathi esedlule zingitshela ukuthi yingoba abantu bavumela ugqozi namandla abo ehle. Ukushintsha kokugxilisa ingqondo, ukushintsha kwezinto eziza kuqala, wonke umuntu ufuna ukusebenzisa impumelelo, futhi izinguquko ezinkulu ezisheshayo eziqondisweni zishiya iqembu lidaluliwe kanti abanye banethuba elihle.
Lena into esesixoxe ngayo isikhathi eside: yini okumele inqobe? Uma uya ekhasino, isibonelo, futhi okubomvu kuphuma izikhathi eziyisikhombisa zilandelana, akusho ukuthi okwesishiyagalombili kuzophuma kumnyama. Ingase iphume ibomvu futhi. Ngakho minyaka yonke, iqembu ngalinye linethuba lokuphinda liwine. Futhi akusekelwe kunoma yimuphi umjikelezo oyinqaba.
Imijikelezo ivela ezintweni ezifana nabantu, izimfanelo kanye nokugqugquzela. Futhi thina, kuze kube manje, siphumelele ekugcineni lokho. Kodwa lokhu akuqinisekisi ukuthi uzowina yonke imiqhudelwano obamba iqhaza kuyo. Lokho akukho kwezemidlalo nanoma yiliphi elinye ibhizinisi.
I-RA - Ingabe kulula ukugcina wonke umuntu ekhuthazekile, unyaka nonyaka, noma kuyadingeka yini ukudala imigomo emincane ngokuhamba kwesikhathi?
TW — Akulula ukukhuthazeka unyaka nonyaka ngoba kulula kakhulu: uma uphupha ngokuwina bese uwina, lokho kuyamangaza. Bonke abantu bayalingana, uma unokuningi, kuba okukhethekile kancane. Ngicabanga ukuthi kubaluleke kakhulu ukuthi sikhumbule ngaso sonke isikhathi ukuthi kukhethekile kangakanani. Futhi sibe nenhlanhla esikhathini esidlule.
UToto WolffAbashayeli benza umehluko omkhulu uma unezimoto ezimbili ezicishe zifane.
Minyaka yonke ‘sasivuswa’ ukuhlulwa. Futhi kungazelelwe sacabanga: Angikuthandi lokhu, angithandi ukulahlekelwa. Kubuhlungu kakhulu. Kodwa ubuye ucabange ngalokho okufanele ukwenze ukuze unqobe lo muzwa ongemuhle. Futhi isixazululo kuphela ukunqoba.
Sisesimweni esihle, kodwa lapho ngizizwa ngisho lokho, ngiqala ukucabanga: kulungile, usuvele ucabanga ukuthi 'singabakhulu' futhi, akunjalo. Kufanele ukhumbule ukuthi awukwazi ukuthatha noma yini kalula, ngoba abanye benza umsebenzi omuhle.
RA - Ekuqaleni kwale sizini, iRed Bull Racing ikhombisa ukuthi inamandla kunaseminyakeni edlule. Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-Max Verstappen ivuthwe kakhulu kunangaphambili futhi i-“Czech” Pérez ingumshayeli osheshayo futhi ongashintshi. Ingabe ucabanga ukuthi lesi kungaba isikhathi esinzima kunazo zonke kule minyaka emihlanu edlule?
TW Kube namasizini anzima. Ngikhumbula i-2018, isibonelo, noFerrari noVettel. Kodwa kule bhuthi ngibona imoto kanye neyunithi yamandla ebonakala idlula 'iphakethe' lakwaMercedes. Lokhu akuzange kwenzeke esikhathini esidlule.
Bekunemijaho ebesingeyona eshesha kakhulu kodwa uma kuqala isizini siyabona ukuthi iyalibeka phansi ijubane. Yinto okumele siyifinyelele futhi siyinqobe.
RA — Ngabe kusesikhathini esifana nalesi, lapho bengenazo khona imoto esheshayo, lapho ithalente likaLewis Hamilton lingenza umehluko futhi?
TW - Abashayeli benza umehluko omkhulu uma unezimoto ezimbili ezifanayo. Lapha banomshayeli osemncane osafufusa nokucacayo ukuthi unekhono eliyingqayizivele.
Bese kuba noLewis, ongumpetha womhlaba ophindwe kasikhombisa, ophethe irekhodi emijahweni ewinile, ophethe irekhodi ezindaweni ezipholile, onenani lezicoco elilingana noMichael Schumacher, kodwa osahamba phambili. Yingakho kuyimpi eyingqophamlando.
RA - Isizini ayikaqali kahle kuValtteri Bottas futhi ubukeka ehambela phambili ekuziqiniseni. Ucabanga ukuthi uya ngokuya esola ingcindezi yokuthi kumele 'akhombise inkonzo'?
TW — UValtteri ungumshayeli okahle kakhulu futhi ungumuntu obalulekile eqenjini. Kodwa kulezi zimpelasonto ezimbalwa ezedlule ubengekho kahle. Kufanele siqonde ukuthi kungani singakwazi ukumnika imoto azizwa ekhululekile ngayo. Ngizama ukuthola izincazelo ngalokho nokuthi sikwazi ukumnika amathuluzi awadingayo ukuze asheshe, nokuyinto ayenzayo.
RA — Njengoba uhlaka lwesabelomali seluvele lukhona ngo-2021 futhi oluzokwehla kancane kancane eminyakeni embalwa ezayo, futhi iMercedes-AMG Petronas ingelinye lamaqembu amakhulu, izophinde ibe ngelinye lathinteka kakhulu. Ucabanga ukuthi lokhu kuzoba nomthelela onjani emqhudelwaneni? Ngabe sizoyibona iMercedes-AMG ingena kweminye imikhakha izosabalalisa kabusha abasebenzi bayo?
TW Umbuzo omuhle kakhulu. Ngicabanga ukuthi uhlaka lwesabelomali lubalulekile ngoba luyasivikela kithina. Ukuzingela izikhathi ze-Lap sekufinyelele emazingeni angakwazi ukusimama, lapho utshala khona izigidi nezigidi zama-euro 'kumdlalo' weshumi lesekhondi. Ukufakwa kwesabelomali kuzonciphisa umehluko 'ekusebenzeni' phakathi kwamaqembu. Futhi lokhu kuhle kakhulu. Umncintiswano udinga ukulingana. Angicabangi ukuthi lo mdlalo ungaphatha iqembu elingompetha izikhathi eziyishumi kulandelana.
UToto WolffAnginaso isiqiniseko sokuthi azoba ngamafutha okwenziwa (azosetshenziswa kuFomula 1), kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi azoba izinto zokubasa ezisimeme.
Kodwa ngesikhathi esifanayo siyakulwela. Mayelana nokusatshalaliswa kwabantu, sibheka zonke izigaba. Sine-Formula E, iqembu layo eselithuthele e-Brackley, lapho selivele lisebenza khona. 'Sinengalo' yethu yobunjiniyela, ebizwa nge-Mercedes-Benz Applied Science, lapho sisebenza khona ngezikebhe zokuncintisana ze-INEOS, amabhayisikili, amaphrojekthi we-dynamics yezimoto kanye namatekisi ayi-drone.
Sithole izinto ezithokozisayo zabantu ezikhona ngokwazo. Benza inzuzo futhi basinike imibono ehlukene.
RA — Ingabe uyakholelwa ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi iFomula 1 neFomula E zisondele esikhathini esizayo?
TW angazi. Lesi yisinqumo okumele sithathwe yiLiberty Media kanye neLiberty Global. Yebo, imicimbi yedolobha efana ne-Formula 1 kanye ne-Formula E ingasiza ekunciphiseni izindleko. Kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi lesi yisinqumo sezimali okumele sithathwe yilabo ababhekele lezi zigaba zombili.
RA — Sisanda kubona kwaHonda bathi abafuni ukuqhubeka nokubheja kuFormula 1 futhi sibone uBWM eshiya iFormula E. Ucabanga ukuthi abanye abakhiqizi abasakholelwa kwezezimoto?
TW Ngicabanga ukuthi abakhi bayafika bahambe. Sibonile ukuthi kuFormula 1 ngeBMW, Toyota, Honda, Renault… Izinqumo zingashintsha njalo. Izinkampani zihlale zihlaziya amandla okumaketha ezemidlalo ezinawo kanye nokudluliswa kwezithombe ezikuvumelayo. Futhi uma bengathandi, kulula ukuhamba.
Lezi zinqumo zingenziwa ngokushesha okukhulu. Kodwa emaqenjini azalelwe ukuqhudelana, kuhlukile. KwaMercedes kugxilwe ekuqhudelaneni nokuba nezimoto emgwaqeni. Imoto yokuqala kaMercedes kwakuyimoto yokuncintisana. Futhi yingakho kuwumsebenzi wethu oyinhloko.
I-RA - Ucabanga ukuthi amafutha okwenziwa azoba yikusasa le-Formula 1 kanye ne-motorsport?
TW — Anginaso isiqiniseko sokuthi kuzoba ngamafutha okwenziwa, kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi kuzoba izinto zokubasa ezisimeme. I-biodegradable ngaphezulu kunezibaseli zokwenziwa, ngoba amafutha okwenziwa abiza kakhulu. Inqubo yokuthuthukiswa nokukhiqiza iyinkimbinkimbi futhi ibiza kakhulu.
Ngakho-ke ngibona okuningi kwekusasa kuhamba ngezibaseli ezisimeme ngokusekelwe kwezinye izithako. Kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi uma sizoqhubeka nokusebenzisa izinjini ezivuthayo, kufanele sikwenze ngamafutha aqhubekayo.
RA — Lona unyaka wesibili olandelanayo lapho iPortugal isingathe i-Formula 1. Ucabangani nge-Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, e-Portimão, futhi ucabangani ngezwe lethu?
TW — Ngiyithanda kakhulu i-Portimão. Ngiyazi isekethe kusukela ezikhathini zami ze-DTM. Ngiyakhumbula ukuthi sathatha isivivinyo sokuqala sikaPascal Wehrlein seFormula 1 lapho ngeMercedes. Futhi manje, ukubuyela emjahweni weFormula 1 bekukuhle ngempela. IPortugal iyizwe elimangalisayo.
Ngifuna ngempela ukubuyela ezweni endaweni evamile, ngoba kuningi ongakubona nokwenza. Ngokombono womjaho, iyithrekhi enhle ngempela, kumnandi ukuyishayela futhi kumnandi ukuyibuka.
I-RA - Hlobo luni lobunzima lo mzila obangela abashayeli bezindiza? Ingabe kwakunzima ngokukhethekile ukulungiselela umjaho wangonyaka odlule, njengoba zingekho izinkomba zeminyaka edlule?
TW - Yebo, lokho bekuyinselele, ukulungiselela ithrekhi entsha kanye nesekhethi enokwehla nokwenyuka. Kodwa sakuthanda. Kuphoqelela ukuthathwa kwezinqumo okuzenzakalelayo, ngokusekelwe kudatha nokusabela okwengeziwe. Nakulo nyaka kuzofana. Ngoba asinayo idatha eqoqiwe yeminye iminyaka. I-asphalt icacile kakhulu futhi umklamo wethrekhi uhluke kakhulu kulokho esikwaziyo.
Sinemijaho emithathu enezakhiwo ezihluke kakhulu kulokhu kuqala isizini, ake sibone ukuthi yini elandelayo.
RA — Kodwa uma ubheka ukwakheka kwePortuguese Grand Prix, ucabanga ukuthi iyisekhethi lapho imoto yakwaMercedes-AMG Petronas ingabonakala iqinile?
TW Kunzima ukusho njengamanje. Ngicabanga ukuthi iRed Bull Racing ibe namandla kakhulu. Sibone u-Lando Norris (McLaren) enza okumangalisayo kokufaneleka e-Imola. AmaFerrari aseduze ngemuva. Kungenzeka ukuthi unamaMercedes amabili, amaRed Bull amabili, uMcLaren amabili kanye namaFerrari amabili. Konke kunokuncintisana kakhulu futhi kuhle lokho.
RA - Ukubuyela emuva ku-2016, bebuphethe kanjani ubudlelwano phakathi kukaLewis Hamilton noNico Rosberg? Ingabe bekungenye yezinselelo ezinkulu zomsebenzi wakho?
TW — Okwakunzima kakhulu kimina ukuthi ngangimusha kulo mdlalo. Kodwa ngayithanda inselele. Abantu ababili abanamandla kakhulu nabalingiswa ababili ababefuna ukuba ngompetha bomhlaba. Ekuzivikeleni kukaLewis, asizange simnikeze izinto eziqinile kulo nyaka. Uke wahluleka kaningi izinjini, enye yazo ngesikhathi ehola eMalaysia, obekungamnikeza isicoco.
Kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi asenzanga kahle emijahweni embalwa edlule. Sazama ukuvimbela umphumela ongemuhle futhi singawavumeli, kodwa lokho kwakungadingeki. Bekufanele sivele sibayeke bashayele balwele isicoco. Futhi uma igcine ngokushayisana, bese igcina ngokushayisana. Besilawula kakhulu.
RA — Ukuvuselelwa kwenkontileka noLewis Hamilton kwamangaza abantu abaningi njengoba bekusasele unyaka owodwa kuphela. Ingabe lokhu bekuyisifiso sabo bobabili izinhlangothi? Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi uma uHamilton ewina okwesishiyagalombili kulo nyaka lokhu kungaba isizini yokugcina yomsebenzi wakhe?
TW — Bekubalulekile kuwona womabili amaqembu. Kuye, bekubalulekile ukumshiyela leli khasi ukuze anqume ukuthi ufuna ukwenzani ngomsebenzi wakhe. Izicoco zomhlaba eziyisikhombisa, ezilingana nerekhodi likaMichael Schumacher, azikholakali. Kodwa ngokuzama ukuthola irekhodi eliphelele, ngicabanga ukuthi kwakubalulekile kuye ukuba abe nenkululeko engokwengqondo yokunquma ukuthi yini afuna ukuyenza.
Kodwa phakathi kokulwela isicoco sesishiyagalolunye noma impinda uma ngingasiwini lesi, ngicabanga ukuthi uzohlala nathi isikhashana. Futhi sifuna ukuba naye emotweni. Kuningi kakhulu okumele sikuzuze.
“Isekisi elikhulu” le-Formula 1 libuyela e-Portugal — kanye nase-Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, e-Portimão - kulo Lwesihlanu, ngeseshini yokuqala yokuzilolonga yamahhala ehlelelwe u-11:30 ekuseni. Kusixhumanisi esingezansi ungabheka wonke amathayimithebula ukuze ungaphuthelwa lutho kusukela esigabeni samaPutukezi seNdebe Yomhlaba ye-Formula 1.