Toto Wolff has a confession that would make most executives uncomfortable. We’re 30,000 feet above the ground on his private jet, flying from the Montreal Grand Prix to New York in mid-June for the F1 movie premiere starring Brad Pitt. It had been a whirlwind race weekend resulting in lead drivers George Russell and 18-year-old Italian newcomer Kimi Antonelli placing 1st and 3rd, respectively. Still, the man who built Mercedes-AMG Petronas as Team Principal and CEO into one of Formula 1’s most dominant franchises—a record eight consecutive titles for the best overall team and car (the Constructor’s World Championship), as well as 131 Grand Prix victories, a feat unmatched in any major sport—reveals the word “leadership” makes him recoil.

With a net worth of $2.5 billion according to Forbes, the 6’5”, 53-year-old Austrian has every reason to rely on the tried and true CEO playbook. Rather, he rejects it entirely. If there’s one thing he knows for sure, it’s that racing is a team sport.

“I feel embarrassed talking about leadership,” Wolff says, staring out the window above the clouds at sunset, dressed in a relaxed denim button-down, white t-shirt and chinos. He had spent the race weekend behind the Engineering desk inside the team garage with over 58 engineers and technicians amid the rev of twenty Formula 1 engines and the squeal of pneumatic wheel guns, all working towards one goal—making it to the podium and edging closer to a World Championship and Constructors’ Championship (Mercedes-AMG ended the season in second place in this year’s Constructors’ rankings).

“This notion of one leader is something that I really struggle with. I couldn’t be the best CFO, the best CMO, the best CEO, all in one,” he says. “I see myself among that team. If there’s a final decision to make, then I will do that. But I rely on the collective.”

Coming from someone who turned a struggling F1 team reportedly valued at roughly $165 million in 2013 into a $6 billion juggernaut, it’s a statement that demands scrutiny. But Wolff’s unease with traditional hierarchies isn’t philosophical posturing—it’s operational strategy.

When it comes to hiring for the 2,000-person organization, which includes the headquarters in Brackley (1,250 staff for the chassis team) and the engine facility in Brixworth, England. Within thirty seconds of meeting someone, he’s made his initial assessment. “It all starts with the personality and character,” he says. Overconfidence is “a no-go.” Arrogance or lack of humility? “An absolute showstopper.” Only after clearing those character hurdles does technical competence even enter the equation.

Valtteri Bottas, who drove for Wolff for five seasons before Russell joined, puts it this way: “One of his strengths is reading people and learning how to deal with different people because everyone is different. Some might need more pressure. Some might need less. And he tries to figure out for each individual what works.”

Wolff sees his role as creating an environment where people feel simultaneously protected and pressured—a paradox that defines many high-performance cultures. “I see it a little bit as my tribe, I ought to protect them,” he says. “But I also need to give clarity of the mission.”

That mission tolerates nothing short of........

© Forbes