Wolff convinced Mercedes would have won Verstappen appeal "in a regular court"
Wolff convinced Mercedes would have won Verstappen appeal "in a regular court"
Toto Wolff is convinced Mercedes would have been "almost guaranteed" victory in a regular court if it had pursued its appeal against Max Verstappen's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix triumph.
Mercedes opted not to appeal a stewards' verdict that rejected a protest from the team at the classification given the events that unfolded over the final laps of the race at the Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday.
It was a decision not taken lightly, particularly as Mercedes felt it had the law on its side but was offset by the fact it knew the International Court of Appeal [ICA] operates in a different manner.
“We believed we had a very strong case and if you look at it from the legal side, if it would have been judged in a regular court, it is almost guaranteed that we would have won," said Wolff
“But the problem with the ICA is the way it is structured. The FIA can’t really mark their own homework and there is a difference between being right and obtaining justice.
“So there is a lesson to be learned, how can we make sure that going forward with situations like that the right decisions are being taken. The verdicts from the stewards are a response to the regulations.
"Judgment in the courts, whether it is the ICA or CAS [Court for Arbitration of Sport], which is not currently part of the legislation, can be judged in a way that is fair and neutral to every participant.”
As to whether a legal case could still have been pursued, but Mercedes making clear it would not be contesting the result of the championship in order to clarify the rules, Wolff feels that would not have been possible.
"I can understand the frustrations of many, and to be honest, I have the same," added Wolff.
'I'm also in two minds all the time, between my perspective and my judgment on the legal position, and my realism about the outcome of such proceedings.
"As I've said before there is a difference between being right and obtaining justice, and I don't think at the moment we're set up, in terms of our governance, to end up in a situation that would have given us remedy that would have reinstalled a result that was taken away from Lewis before the last lap of the race.
"That's why, with a heavy heart, we decided not to appeal because we knew we wouldn't have got back the result."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Sky Pundit suggests F1 star ‘DETRIMENTAL’ to nation
- 40 minutes ago
F1 Flags Explained: What do the different colours mean?
- 1 hour ago
McLaren boss explains why FIA REVERSED Norris F1 penalty
- 2 hours ago
FIA CANCEL important drivers' meeting after huge drama in China
- 3 hours ago
F1 News Today: Red Bull and Verstappen dealt title blow as Red Bull dominated in sprint qualifying
- Today 12:16
FIA stewards ROB Hamilton pole after bizarre U-turn
- Today 10:58
Related news
Wolff 'p*****' by Verstappen error as star makes Mercedes debut
Hamilton to open Wolff talks at Mercedes amid Ferrari F1 move uncertainty
Mercedes announce MAJOR £5.9 million loss in profits
Verstappen admits new Mercedes relationship with F1 future update
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860