$150m F1 budget cap 'not achievable' - Wolff

Toto Wolff says the proposed budget cap of $150million is "not achievable" in the first sign of resistance to Liberty Media's proposed changes to Formula 1. Although not confirmed by Liberty, the figure has been widely reported and Mercedes team boss Wolff appeared to suggest that it was accurate.

Both Mercedes and Ferrari are expected to serve the majority of the backlash to liberty's plans, which include "cheaper, simpler" power units and changes to revenue sharing in F1, as well as the proposed cost caps.

• For the full run-down of Liberty's plans click here.
• Rob Watts says the announcement leaves more questions than answers.

The Scuderia had threatened to withdraw from the sport before the plans were revealed at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday and, though Wolff stopped short of following suit, the Silver Arrows' chief suggested his team were not happy to accept the plans in their current guise.

"The number needs to be seen in perspective because marketing is excluded, drivers are excluded, foreign currency exchanges are excluded [and] lots of other activities," he told Sky Sports.

"Obviously there's lots of activities which we do as an OEM [original equipment manufacturer] where we do work for the power unit that is for the benefit of customers as well.

"So that number, per se, is much too low for the big teams.

"But if you look into the detail I think we need to work with Liberty and find a compromise. That number will not be achievable. But maybe something sensible, we are all living in the same financial reality."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner admitted that "the guys from P4 downwards are potentially going to get a lot of upside" and Wolff believes the current plans will swing things too much away from the current big-hitters.

"I think when you add all the extra bits that are being excluded you are probably at a number that is much higher than 150. Probably 250. And then it doesn't look so crazy any more.

"But my utmost priority is protecting our structure and our people. We have to consider that we have invested in the sport, we've been here for a long time. Same with Ferrari and Red Bull and some of the bigger structures.

"You just need to lay it out and say this is our situation, how can we achieve a successful Formula One, how can we cap the costs, how can we achieve a sustainable business model without having any hardship on anybody."