Mercedes boss Toto Wolff ‘thought he was dead’ after catastrophic car crash

Toto Wolff has revealed how he had a lucky escape from death after crashing during a fast lap around the Nordschleife back in 2009. The Austrian survived without life-threatening injuries, but the incident has stayed with him to this day.

Wolff was attempting to break the course’s lap record at the time, navigating the world’s most demanding circuit in a Porsche 911 RSR. Unfortunately for the 51-year-old, his right rear tyre exploded while he was driving at 189mph, sending him spinning into the barriers at high speed.

The Austrian was sent into several barriers as the car gradually slowed down. Onboard footage of the crash showed the Mercedes team principal switching off the engine and exiting his Porsche, before collapsing to the ground where he was discovered by medical staff.

Speaking to the BBC podcast Desert Island Discs about the crash, Wolff explained: “They found me lying on the grass behind the crash barrier with my helmet on and I thought I was dead.

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“The first memory that came back was in the ambulance when I felt a strange tingling sensation in my legs. I thought it would end in paralysis. It was really the dumbest idea of my life.”

Wolff also revealed that the late Niki Lauda had warned him against attempting the lap in the first place. The Austrian duo shared an extremely close friendship and Lauda played an integral role in building the Mercedes F1 juggernaut, as well as mentoring Lewis Hamilton during his time as an advisor for the team.

“Niki had his bad accident where he almost died in the flames,” he explained. “He said to me, ‘Don’t be so stupid. Nobody cares about the lap time on the Nordschleife. You could kill yourself. Look at me.’”

Lauda’s crash at the Nurburgring remains one of the most infamous and terrifying in F1 history. The Ferrari driver crashed into the barriers on the second lap of the 1976 German Grand Prix, turning his car into a fireball.

Thanks to the heroic actions of fellow driver Arturo Merzario, Lauda was extracted from the wreckage in time to save his life, but the three-time world champion sustained life-changing injuries and burns to his face and hands. His crash serves as a permanent reminder of the dangers of driving at the legendary track.