Photo: Race Pictures

Wolff hits out after rivals' complaints: 'Just get your s*** together'

13:00, 02 Feb

byKada Sarkozi

Toto Wolff thinks rivals are "maybe looking for excuses" in regard to the debate about the compression ratio 'trick' that the Mercedes and Red Bull Ford power units possess.

Last week, GPblog learned that the aforementioned 'trick', which allows the compression ratio between the cylinder’s maximum and minimum volume to be increased, will not be banned, at least for now.

Speaking to a select group of media, including GPblog, the Mercedes CEO and team boss addressed the question.

He said: "When it comes to the engine question, I just don't understand that some teams concentrate more on the others and keep arguing a case that is very clear and transparent. Communication with the FIA was very positive all along and it's not only on compression ratio but on other things too.

"Specifically in that area, it's very clear what the regulations say. [...] So just get your s*** together."

- Toto Wolff

"And specifically in that area, it's very clear what the regulations say, it's very clear what the standard procedures are on any power units even outside of Formula 1. So just get your s*** together."

Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team

Wolff argues that at Mercedes, they intend to focus as little as possible on rivals in order to avoid being distracted.

"Just doing secret meetings and sending secret letters and keep trying to invent ways of testing that just don't exist, I feel like… I can just say at least from us here, we are trying to minimize distractions and minimizing distractions is looking more at us than at everybody else, when it's pretty clear what the regulations say, and also pretty clear what the FIA has said to us and has said to them so far."

"Maybe you want to find excuses before you even started, why things are not good."

- Toto Wolff

According to the Austrian, their rivals' performance concerns could also be the cause of their approach.

"But maybe we're all different. Maybe you want to find excuses before you even started, why things are not good. So everybody needs to do it at the best of their ability, but that is really not how we would do things.

"Especially not after you've been told a few times that that is fine, it's legal and it's what the regulations say. But again, if somebody wants to entertain themselves by distraction, then everybody is free to do this," he concluded.

GPblog's F1 Paddock Update

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.