Mercedes boss Wolff opens up on tragic loss of father at age of 15

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Toto Wolff has given a rare insight into his upbringing after opening up on the death of his father during his formative years. The Mercedes supremo is often regarded as an assertive figure in Formula 1 but he showed a more vulnerable side to his character in a candid discussion about his life growing up in Austria.

The 51-year-old is one of the most widely recognised figures in motorsport after guiding Mercedes to eight constructor titles in his tenure as team principal, as well as handling British racing stars Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in addition to Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg.

Wolff, a former racer who became CEO of Mercedes and owns 33 per cent of the team, was born in the Austrian capital of Vienna to a Polish mother, an an anaesthesiologist, and his Romanian entrepreneur father. He was educated in the Lycee Français de Vienne, a prestigious private French school.

However, as Wolff has explained, his family were by no means wealthy when he was a teenager and he was dealt a tragic blow after learning his father had been diagnosed with brain cancer he was only eight years old.

“I think the key moment was the tragic loss of my father from brain cancer when I was 15,” he told The Times. “He was terminally ill for 10 years, so basically all throughout my childhood. And the financial hardship was related to this. That had the biggest impact on me as a person.

“My parents, with the help of my grandfather, put me in the French private school in Vienna, which was advantageous for my career as it helped my language. But the obstacle was that I went to school in an affluent environment without being a part of it.

“Day-to-day life was about my mother working hard as a doctor just to afford for us to stay at the school. She might have not been good at motherhood, but she kept us alive; she kept us going.

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“But it meant that certain things happened to me and my sister. I remember that we were taken out of class when I was 14 because the school fees were not paid, so we were sent home. How do you explain in the tram back home why you had to leave after lunch-break? It was quite a humiliating experience.”

Wolff has taken a backseat role in some races recently after admitting the rigours of travelling to races in 2022 had taken a toll on his family life.

And yet, despite his long list of successes with Mercedes, Wolff says his time spent with his wife, Susie, and three children are what he enjoys most.

“I have great moments in F1. I love the team, I love the challenge. But what I really love is my family,” he added.

“I have three children, who are 21, 18 and five years old. Having the family together is what gives me greatest enjoyment. And with my wife I have found the perfect partner.”

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