[TS] Formula One Streamer - Chapter 211

“Minotto and Toto Wolff? The two were incredibly close. They were almost like brothers.”

The shocking statement came from none other than Logan. I had a rough idea, but hearing it directly from him, who had long been an adversary of Ferrari, was a new shock altogether.

Minotto and Toto Wolff. His words, having witnessed the beginning and end of their relationship, were as good as notarized.

“They spent five years together at Ferrari, five years. A lot changed when they both joined Ferrari. It was already a prestigious Ferrari before, but as they started to take charge, it became even more prestigious.”

I pictured Minotto and Toto Wolff laughing and collaborating as he spoke.

‘Those two, Minotto and Toto Wolff…?’

No matter how much I tried to imagine it, I couldn’t easily conjure the image of the bomb-headed fool and the fierce wolf getting along. They seemed like completely incompatible personalities, like mismatched shoes, or rather, shoes that weren’t even in pairs.

It was rather easier to believe that oil and water could mix.

Perhaps it was the first time hearing about their relationship, as Leclerc, sitting next to me, was lost in thought, staring blankly into the air.

“Are you saying they got along so well? Those two, of all people?”

Logan waved his hand as if to say he expected that reaction.

“Of course, if you just look at their appearances, there’s not a single thing that indicates they’d get along. But that’s exactly why they could.”

“What do you mean?”

“When it comes to people, if there’s something good about them, there’s bound to be something lacking. Toto Wolff was an incredible talent as an engineer and an innovator, but at the same time, he was an authoritative dictator. Nobody dared voice their discontent because of his competence, but just because it’s not expressed doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”

I already knew of Toto Wolff’s character. I had witnessed the way he behaved, and having lived a similar life in my past, it wasn’t hard for me to understand him.

Logan, with his arms crossed, looked down with an expression of concern.

“Who quelled that discontent?”

“Director Minotto…”

“Right. Minotto. While he may not have been able to shine as an engineer, he demonstrated far greater natural leadership than Toto Wolff when it came to encouraging the team and boosting morale.”

A completely opposite evaluation of Toto Wolff.

The same evaluation I had observed in Minotto was given by Logan, who had been with him for over ten years.

If even Logan sees Minotto that way, his sacrificial nature could just be considered part of his character.

“So, they were complete opposites, but because of that, they created synergy. One filled in the other’s deficiencies, while the other compensated for the first’s shortcomings, allowing Minotto and Toto Wolff to offset each other’s weaknesses and maximize their strengths. Truly, it felt like such an ideal combination could never be seen again in F1. It was a fantastic pairing.”

It wasn’t merely a matter of crossing strengths and weaknesses to create synergy. Minotto’s strengths and weaknesses offset and simultaneously amplified those of Toto Wolff.

Minotto’s lack of impressive engineering skills allowed Toto Wolff’s talents to shine, and Minotto’s ability to manage the team created an environment in which Toto Wolff could showcase his skills freely.

The opposite was also true. Their strengths and weaknesses interlocked perfectly, demonstrating an ideal rhythm. Logan’s words about them being a ‘partner that will never exist again in F1’ were far from exaggeration.

“So, since they joined, Ferrari achieved remarkable feats, to the extent that it was said they had entered their second golden age. Within the five years they were together, they produced not only a driver champion but also claimed the constructor champion title. Five consecutive years, no less.”

“Similar to the current Mercedes.”

“Similar, but not as impressive. In the history of F1, five years is a short time, during which they built all the foundations of today’s mechanisms.”

After that, everything that came out of Logan’s mouth was shockingly unbelievable. From engines to the structural forms of all race cars influencing aerodynamics, the two rebuilt them anew.

So…

‘Did they open a new era of F1 technology…?’

In just five years, they had completely discarded the old ways and reinstated their philosophy into F1.

While Toto Wolff was said to be better at engineering, was it only his contributions that became reality? Reality has a cruelly cold side towards ‘individuals.’ Therefore, his success should also be seen as Minotto enabling Toto Wolff to exist as a complete ‘entity’ called Ferrari.

It was something that could never be achieved alone.

“But then the problem arose. Eight years ago, on the day Minotto became the director of Ferrari. That day, everything changed.”

Logan’s expression while recalling that memory didn’t reflect well, even eight years later, suggesting that the pain was still evident.

“Originally, five years after joining Ferrari, Toto Wolff was supposed to become the director. That was the contract, so there was no room for excuses.”

“…”

“When that scheduled year approached, F1 Ferrari and the world expected he would become the director. But as you know, that didn’t happen. Much like how the first driver was arbitrarily decided this time, the chairman did the same back then. Mattia Minotto, the engineer, became the director of Ferrari.”

“That’s unbelievable…”

Both Leclerc and I fell silent. Having experienced the chairman’s whims through this incident made us keenly aware of how nonsensical such an act was.

Moreover, it wasn’t just a contract. While we encountered things that were old traditions or customs that had no complaints even if they changed, what Toto Wolff experienced was a contract—a promise that must be fulfilled. Breaking that promise meant a complete breakdown of trust. Moreover, breaking a promise made after being deeply involved with Ferrari and reviving its glory over five years…

‘This is absurd… There’s no defense to such scorn.’

Truly, had the perpetrator of the broken promise been the global company Ferrari, it would have faced total obliteration by society and the world.

Logan, offering a moment to let us digest that emotional turmoil, continued his story slowly.

“That doesn’t mean the trust relationship with Minotto was immediately broken. After all, the one who chose and decided was the chairman of Ferrari, not Minotto.”

Given the situation he was in, it couldn’t help but have emotional repercussions, but Toto Wolff must have also been well aware of whose fault the problem was.

“Minotto also refused the directorship until the end. He even went so far as to kneel before the chairman. He knew well how much that decision would drag Toto Wolff down, better than anyone else as a partner.”

However…

“However, it was not accepted. Minotto’s intentions were resistant, but so was the chairman’s. There was nothing that could be changed. So Minotto decided to change the one thing he could.”

“What was that?”

“His own self. He chose to leave F1 rather than abandon his partner for the hollow title of director. He thought it was the only way to keep his principles and maintain his relationship with Toto Wolff…”

“…”

There were no words from the beginning to the end of the story. Toto Wolff was merely a victim in this gloomy tale, while Minotto became the second victim, sacrificing himself to try to change the genre of this somber narrative.

Who would be able to give up their career and the crown of being the director of F1 Ferrari for the trust built over five years with a partner?

“What is this…”

It could hardly be more dramatic than this, and no movie could match it either.

Yet Logan continued the tale in a calm voice as if to remind us that all of this was reality.

“After Minotto decided to leave F1, chaos erupted at F1 Ferrari. While technology might have relied on Toto Wolff, Minotto had always been the irreplaceable spiritual backbone of F1 Ferrari.”

“No way…”

“Way. All the F1 Ferrari team members, including myself, tried to dissuade Minotto. We told him he was indispensable, that without him, F1 Ferrari would no longer exist as F1 Ferrari. That day, it was embarrassing how childish hundreds of adults acted.”

Logan let out a weak chuckle.

“Ultimately, the tears of those hundreds succeeded in dissuading Minotto.”

“Succeeded…?”

“Minotto agreed to take the directorship. And anyone who saw the expression and tears on Minotto’s face that day would dare not say he accepted it out of envy for the title of director.”

That wretched face, twisted in pain, was enough to evoke feelings of desperation just by looking at it.

Logan added, “After that, you all know the story. Ferrari, thinking Minotto had betrayed him, caused Toto Wolff to move to Mercedes, and the grief-stricken F1 Ferrari fell into a long period of stagnation thereafter. Whether it was Ferrari or Minotto unable to erase the grief… I’m not sure about that either…”

A heavy sense of regret resonated in Logan’s voice, reflecting his deep responsibility for that day.

Though powerless, the sorrow of that day left an indelible scar on F1 Ferrari that was both deep and profound.