Over 120 individuals have made the transfer from Mercedes for the reason that Crimson Bull challenge was launched, together with a number of key gamers who at the moment are main the event of the 2026 Ford-backed engine in Milton Keynes.
Audi has additionally been hiring skilled F1 individuals to work at its new energy unit facility in Germany.
Each new entrants have additionally been chasing the highest college graduates, making it even more durable for Mercedes to plug any gaps.
Nevertheless, Wolff insists that Mercedes has not suffered from the lack of so many individuals.
“I believe what I mentioned earlier than is that it’s a very formidable challenge with Crimson Bull Powertrains and a really brave challenge,” mentioned Wolff when requested in regards to the employees strikes by Autosport.
“HPP has 1000 staff and misplaced some to Crimson Bull in the identical manner we misplaced some to Ferrari, and we misplaced some to Renault. And certainly, the opposite manner round.
“We aren’t bragging about any those who have joined us [the race team] from Crimson Bull. I will not point out any names. We’ve got a continuing inflow of Crimson Bull individuals, as we have now from the opposite groups. The 2 of us are sometimes discussing that.
“So that’s taking place on a regular basis. And so, the individuals they’ve employed, we want them the perfect. A few of them had been retired in our organisation and ended up there in a number one place, however that is high-quality. They have been given a second lifeline.”
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W14
Picture by: James Sutton / Motorsport Images
Mercedes AMG Excessive Efficiency Powertrains managing director Hywel Thomas additionally downplayed the impression of the departures.
“I assume it has been a giant change for us that we have got a competitor 40 miles down the street,” he mentioned.
“It hasn’t been since actually the early 2000s, when Cosworth was in Northampton, that we had two producers shut collectively.
“They’ve undoubtedly employed various individuals. A few of them have come from our place. There is no secret there, and there is not any drawback with that, persons are going to maneuver their careers, and they are going to wish to be concerned in numerous tasks.
“We’ve got had loads of good individuals be a part of us to exchange these those who left, we have had loads of actually sturdy individuals promoted inside the organisation.
“We have a extremely, extremely sturdy challenge group that I am certain goes to be very profitable in making an superior 2026 powertrain.”
Thomas revealed that HPP has ramped up its recruitment programme.
“It brought about us to alter some instructions of some issues that we had been doing by way of recruitment.
“However we have at all times had a powerful pipeline of graduates, we have at all times had a powerful pipeline of younger, enthusiastic engineers coming by the system, and we have simply accelerated a few of that, and that sprinkling of individuals from exterior that we have at all times carried out with maybe a bit extra of that.”