Toto Wolff warns F1 should 'take nothing for granted' in message to FIA president

Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff imparted some wise words in a recent message to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

The president was recently re-elected for a second term, having been in the post since 2021, and will usher in a new F1 era as the regulations change in 2026.

Ahead of the 2026 season, F1, the FIA and all 11 teams also signed a new Concorde Agreement which will run from 2026 until 2030, which McLaren CEO Zak Brown also recently praised.

"The president's greatest achievement to date has been getting the Concorde Agreement for 2026 and beyond completed quietly, out of the media and in a fair and balanced way," he said in a video for the FIA's official Instagram page.

"I think that the sport has never been healthier, there's a real focus on what's right for the sport and that of course has been led by the president and Stefano [Domenicali] working closely together. Very happy with where the sport is."

F1 bosses rally behind FIA president

Toto Wolff also reflected on this new era in a message to the page via Ben Sulayem's Instagram, where the Mercedes team principal said: "He has a wide understanding of motorsport beyond Formula 1. He’s funded grassroots sports, has channelled the funds into safety.

“Formula 1 is in a great place and we need to continue to shape it going forward. Between the president, the FIA, Liberty and the teams, align and develop it into the next stage, taking nothing for granted.”

This message of unity is refreshing after a difficult year for the FIA in 2025. The governing body's stewards have often come under fire for their penalty decisions, such as Oscar Piastri's penalty in Sao Paulo and Carlos Sainz's in Zandvoort.

Piastri was awarded a 10-second time penalty at the Brazilian Grand Prix for a crash with Kimi Antonelli, and Sainz was similarly penalised for a collision with Liam Lawson at the Dutch GP - a decision that was overturned after a Williams appeal.

Both were considered too harsh for the incident, and were brought up during a meeting over F1's penalty guidelines in Qatar.

Currently F1 stewards are unpaid volunteers, with the 2026 Concorde Agreement addressing these issues that have been highlighted by multiple figures up and down the paddock.

The signing of the agreement means that extra funding has been secured to help improve stewarding going forwards.

Wolff's message is clear, however, that F1, the FIA and Liberty Media need to make continuous progress in an effort to improve the sport.

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