Formula One teams have always been cautious about opening up too much to the outside world, so close is the competition, and so closely guarded are their secrets.
When Netflix first explained its “Drive to Survive” docuseries concept to teams toward the end of 2017, prior to filming its debut season, most doubted it would be possible for the producers to capture what they wanted. Two teams, Ferrari and Mercedes, even declined to take part.
Seven years later, F1 has been transformed, with teams understanding the value of offering a glimpse to fans of how they tick on the inside.
It has made the new book, “Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane,” a first for F1. From early 2023 to mid-2024, the team offered unprecedented access to author Matt Whyman, revealing the inner workings of one of F1’s biggest and most successful teams as it faced challenges with its car and handled the shock exit of its biggest name, Lewis Hamilton, for 2025.
The narrative surrounding Mercedes in the past two years has been dominated by its quest to reclaim the top spot. Its record run of eight constructors’ titles coming to an abrupt end in 2021 intensified the team’s struggle to turn their fortunes around.
Whyman’s embed ranged from the garage on race day to late-night simulator sessions at the factory. He would have surely started it anticipating he would be there for the story of Mercedes’ return to contending form. Instead, he witnessed a more complex period from which the team has yet to truly emerge, still adrift from the sport’s leading trio of Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.
Here’s what we learned from the book, published on Nov. 7.
Toto Wolff always knew Lewis Hamilton might leave
Hamilton’s bombshell decision to quit Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025 is the biggest story of F1 in 2024 — and, unsurprisingly, one of the most revealing parts of the book.
Team principal Toto Wolff opened up about the news to Whyman six days after Hamilton’s departure was announced to the world, and his reaction has circulated in recent days following the book’s release.
Wolff admitted it was “always on my radar” that Hamilton could leave, given they would only agree to a one-plus-one-year deal instead of anything longer-term. “I believe everyone has a shelf life,” he said. “So, I need to look at the next generation.” It was a nod to Mercedes’ future with Andrea Kimi Antonelli, named Hamilton’s replacement at the end of August.
While Hamilton’s decision wasn’t shocking to Wolff, its timing was awkward. He didn’t understand why Hamilton made the call before knowing if Mercedes would be competitive — he wouldn’t first sample the 2024 car for another two weeks — and after the off-season brought news of new contracts for Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, two obvious Mercedes targets were off the table.
But it hardly broke Wolff. “I’m thick-skinned, you know?” Wolff said. “I’ve had some pretty tough moments in my life, and this doesn’t compare.”
GO DEEPER
Toto Wolff admits Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes exit was ‘on my radar’
Wolff is more open than ever about his past and present
Those “tough moments” are detailed in the chapter addressing Hamilton’s exit, titled ‘Finding Toto.’ In the introduction, Whyman notes that gaining Wolff’s trust and getting him to open up would be his “greatest challenge,” something that is clear through the early part of the book. Whyman’s first proper meeting with Wolff comes off the back of a double podium at Barcelona, having only caught the team principal in passing before that.
Wolff is very frank. He is honest about his childhood, his father’s death from brain cancer when he was 15 and the impact it had on his family. “I couldn’t bear the suffering and the illness, the humiliation and the failure,” he said. “At fifteen, I decided to be a grown-up. I would take care of my own life.” Wolff has always been candid about his past, especially when it comes to mental health, but this is perhaps the most open he has been yet.
He’s also frank about his own position and leadership style, accepting there was “a lot of discontent” within Mercedes after comments he made about the 2023 car not deserving a win. “I needed to change,” Wolff said. “And that meant becoming a better leader.”
Lewis Hamilton celebrates with engineer Pete Bonnington after winning the British Grand Prix in July. (Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Hamilton and Mercedes are ‘still in love’
Hamilton’s presence in the book is initially limited to snippets where Whyman is privy to engineering meetings or technical chats, but a whole chapter is eventually dedicated to sitting down with the seven-time world champion at the Australian Grand Prix in March.
Hamilton is good when discussing his background and rise to F1, as well as his work with Mission 44 and the shifts to improve diversity within the industry, something that will be a core part of his legacy both at Mercedes and in F1 as a whole. Given it follows his decision to leave for Ferrari, he is also able to speak about his thinking and the difficulty of breaking the news to Wolff.
“It was the hardest meeting I’ve ever had,” Hamilton said. “I needed to do it in person because that’s what integrity is all about, but I knew it would be difficult. Ultimately, as humans, we’re hurt when things end. But I also know that our friendship goes beyond business. That’s how I view it, and I hope Toto does too.”
Hamilton also echoed the message that has been present throughout this season. Despite his decision, and as trying as things have been on track, there remains a strong bond between Hamilton and Mercedes.
“I feel like I’m ending a relationship that’s perfectly fine,” Hamilton said. “We’re still in love. I haven’t lost faith in the team. I’m just leaving for myself.”
Testing in 2023 was a rude awakening
The introduction to the book, at the opening qualifying session of 2023, sets the tone perfectly for the chapters to follow. A moment that could have marked the start of Mercedes’ revival instead foreshadowed the difficult last 18 months on the track.
A meeting involving all of Mercedes’ key F1 leaders, including Wolff, then-technical director Mike Elliott, trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin and Hamilton’s race engineer, Pete Bonnington, outlines the severity of the situation after pre-season testing. “Where we’ve ended up is not acceptable,” said one. Wolff is firm and clear, saying, “This is just not good enough.”
The issues around Mercedes’ car concept, complete with the ‘zeropod’ sidepods, are now well known. However, the chapter outlines how quickly the team understood how deep the issues ran. Much of the book’s first half follows the team’s meandering form and the efforts to make a breakthrough.
The bleakness of early 2023 contrasts with how 2024 starts a couple of hundred pages later. There’s still an acceptance of falling behind, but it’s nowhere near as shocking, a sign of the eventual success that would follow with Russell and Hamilton’s mid-season wins.
(Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
George Russell’s ambition and humanity
One of the early chapters sees Whyman spend some time with George Russell, charting his F1 career and rise to join Mercedes. Russell, as he has throughout his time on the team, spoke with respectful ambition about his task to go head-to-head with Hamilton across the garage. “I want to be ahead of Lewis,” Russell said. “I think I’ve proved I’m on his level, but I want to be above it. His prior successes don’t change any of that.”
But it is nice to see a couple of really humanizing moments involving Russell. He talked about struggling with a mumble as a child, to the point that he saw a speech therapist who helped make him a clear communicator. There is also a sweet moment where Russell discusses his niece, her love for F1, and gifting her his race-winner’s cap from Interlagos in 2022.
“In this short escape from the paddock, in between engagements, George Russell is just a proud uncle,” Whyman writes.
F1 truly is a team effort
Hamilton, Russell and Wolff may be the headline names for the Mercedes F1 effort, but the book successfully highlights many of the more unsung heroes. From the mechanics — complete with nicknames including “Flannel” and “Mad Dog” — to the engineers, the logistics crew, and the communications team, Whyman makes a concerted effort to get to know everyone and tell their stories.
It helps make this a book not just about racing but about people and their characters in a time of adversity. One senior figure notes that prior to 2022, 60 percent of the team members had never experienced not winning a championship, so long had Mercedes’ success run. One really fascinating moment comes when Whyman writes about a split between two strategists over a decision to swap positions for Hamilton and Russell at Suzuka last year and how they digest the situation.
In the book’s conclusion, Whyman acknowledged that he’d “witnessed a team undergo a period of soul-searching and then rebuilding that said more about the character to the Silver Arrows than a cabinet full of trophies.” Arguably, it also made for a more compelling read, making for the most illuminating look at the inner workings of an F1 team to date.
Top photo: Peter Fox/Getty Images
