Toto Wolff refuses to ask for rule changes to stop Red Bull domination despite F1 changing regulations in 2021 to end Mercedes’s streak

Toto Wolff recognized that there shouldn't be a rush to implement further changes in regulations.

Toto Wolff refuses to ask for rule changes to stop Red Bull domination despite F1 changing regulations in 2021 to end Mercedes’s streak

Toto Wolff (Via IMAGO)

Mercedes says they won’t complain about Red Bull’s dominance in the 2023 season, even though they’ve faced setbacks from previous rule changes. Toto Wolff, the team principal, acknowledged that certain rule changes in the past were aimed at ending Mercedes’ long-standing dominance in Formula 1. He pointed out that in 2020, rules were changed after Mercedes secured championships for the seventh consecutive year.

In the second year of the ground effect regulations, Red Bull remains unchallenged, possibly even stronger than when these regulations were introduced in 2022. Max Verstappen and his team have broken multiple records mid-way to the seaosn. Red Bull is on the brink of sweeping the whole season and securing their third consecutive world title.

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Historically, in cases of team dominance, the FIA has introduced regulations aimed at disrupting the order and providing rivals a chance to catch up. Liberty Media implemented a budget cap in 2021 and adjusted technical rules the following year to create more competitive racing among teams. Wolff claimed despite previous regulation changes, like those in 2020, were designed to disrupt Mercedes’ dominance in F1, they won’t ask for the same to be done to end Red Bull’s run.

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He said, as reported by Silver Arrows, “But we also lost it because those regulations were set in place in order to reduce the advantage that we…..And then, towards the end of the season, they changed the regs by cutting the floor out.That was to stop us, and we could see the results in 2021: we were not as competitive as Red Bull was.… But back in the day, these regs were clearly targeted to re-establish the pecking order.”

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Toto Wolff does not support FIA intervention to Counter Red Bull’s Dominance

Toto Wolff
Toto Wolff (Credits: PlanetF1)

Acknowledging the 2023 Formula 1 season, Toto Wolff recognized that there shouldn’t be a rush to implement further regulation changes. Wolff claimed he does not want to follow the previous instances despite Red Bull’s dominance with wins in all but one of the 21 Grands Prix held in the last 12 months.

He said, “As a team principal, I don’t want to jump on the bandwagon that others have done in the past of saying we need to change the regulations because we can’t continue with the dominance of a team. If a team dominates like Max has done with Red Bull, then fair dos.”

Emphasizing the importance of fair competition in Formula 1, Wolff stated that it’s the team’s responsibility to catch up to Red Bull’s dominance. He acknowledged that Formula 1 should prioritize genuine sportsmanship and competition over scripted or manipulated content.

“It’s up to us to catch up. And if that takes a long time, then it takes a long time….We can’t be WWE and just scripted content. We don’t want to be scripted content. This is a meritocracy,” Concluded Toto Wolff 

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