© Sebastian Kawka for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix ltd.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says he believes Mercedes’ innovations will be allowed, and adds the team has been in touch with the FIA while designing them.
There has been a lot of talk about Mercedes’ innovative redesign of their 2022 car. The the main topic debated is whether the upgrades will be considered legal and ‘in the spirit of the regulations’.
Toto Wolff believes they will be, so it could only be problematic if the F1 Commission, that comprises the 10 teams, the FIA and F1, decides that the upgrade should be outlawed.
“First of all, it is clear that when you come sometimes with an innovation, it creates the kind of debate that we are having here and that is why that was expected,” Wolff said.
“We have the new governance with the supermajority that is needed. My opinion is that I would have preferred to have stayed with the old system and if a team comes up with an innovation you possibly can’t take it off the car if it is compliant with the regulations.
“The FIA and Formula 1 will for sure handle that with diligence in the spirit of the sport.
“We were keen in not running alone with that but being in touch with the FIA and that is why I think it will be okay.”
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The Austrian explains that the car is definitely in compliance with the rules because the team was communicating with the FIA during its development.
“The process is really clear. When you go in a specific development direction, and having the FIA as part of scrutinising it, you are exchanging CAD data as part of the process.”
Wolff also reveals the team is yet to test out the performance of the redesigned car.
“We’re experimenting a lot with what we’ve done during the day and are approaching it with curiosity.”
Asked whether the car is performing as expected Mercedes’ team boss said:
“You can’t really say that. I think there are issues that are linked to Bahrain; it’s very hot and you see a lot of cars bouncing along on the straights or the through the corners.
“So it’s a tuning question,” Toto concluded.
