Balance of performance has 'no place in Formula 1' says Wolff

Mercedes

Balance of performance has 'no place in Formula 1' says Wolff

Mercedes boss remains a fan of the 'meritocracy of Formula 1'

Sam Hall

Saturday 6 June 2020 10:52

Toto Wolff has said he is against any form of balance of power in Formula 1, although he accepts the new aerodynamic testing restrictions [ATR] as a 'fine adjustment'.

Formula 1 has always been a sport where those with the biggest budgets often come out on top. However, the stories looked on most fondly, come when a small team with limited resources but the right people, steal success from under the noses of the 'big names' - Brawn GP in 2009 anyone?

Mercedes team principal, Wolff, appreciates this 'best man wins' approach.

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"I am a fan of the meritocracy of Formula 1," said Wolff. "The best man and the best machine wins. This is how it always was. No gimmicky stuff like in some other sports, where the show people have added components that have diluted the sport.

"I hate any kind of balance of performance. It becomes a political game and a political world championship and has no place in Formula 1."

For the 2021 season onwards, Formula 1 has introduced regulations that some have compared to the dreaded 'balance of performance'.

Depending on the championship finishing position of a team, a percentage of wind tunnel time will either be awarded or taken away, meaning that those towards the back of the grid will have more time to understand and learn about their cars than those at the front.

Despite his stance against BOP, Wolff accepts this change as a 'fine adjustment' and not a 'baseball bat'.

He added: "What has been introduced with the new ATR, is a possibility for the lower ranked teams to slowly creep back, in terms of development scope, to where the leading teams are.

"It's tiny percentages every year, so it's not going to make a big difference from one year to the other, but it's going to balance the field out after a few years.

"But I believe that, if you're not good enough to win any more, then you have equal opportunity. You are second or third, you have more scope again than the world champion, and I think it [the regulation] was done as a fine adjustment, not with a baseball bat.

"The reverse grids would have been the baseball bat."

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