© LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says implementing a ‘balance of performance’ system in Formula 1, to stop Red Bull, would “ruin the sport”.
Red Bull has been completely dominating Formula 1 throughout 2022 and so far in 2023. This led to some observers saying that F1 and the FIA should step in to ‘stop’ the Austrian team.
One of the proposed solutions was the ‘balance of performance’ system, which is used in some other series like the World Endurance Championship. The system attempts to stop any team from becoming dominant, by adjusting measures such as horsepower and weight.
When Toto Wolff was asked if Formula 1 should do the same, he said it would “ruin the sport”.
“If we start putting in a balance of performance we will ruin this sport,” the Austrian said.
“This is a meritocracy, best driver in the best car, spending the same amount of money, win the championship, and if you break the rules in either you should be heavily penalised.
“But only then – but not for doing a good job.”
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Toto added it is the duty of other teams to do a better job and close the gap.
“When you win in Formula 1 it is a meritocracy and they [Red Bull] have just done a good job. The car is fast in all conditions, the driver is at the top of his game,.
“Even today going off at times but not dnf-ing is a skill. You can see that he pushed, so all credit to them.
“We just need to do a better job, we need to catch up, find intelligent solutions. Hope that our learning slope, development slope is steeper than theirs and eventually fight for this again.
“Because it is a meritocracy, it is what it is. It’s sport, whether it is good for the show or not.
“Obviously a strong fight between ten drivers or at least two, is much better for all of us, but it is not happening, [and] that is why you have to just accept that and work to get back there,” Wolff concluded.
