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Toto Wolff agrees that team principals should not be allowed to talk to the FIA race director during races. He also blames himself and Ross Brawn for allowing this.
A lot has been said about the controversial end to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, that saw race director Michael Masi break Safety Car rules and protocols, which created a situation that allowed Max Verstappen to become the 2021 champion.
Some of the criticism of what was going on in the final moments of the race was aimed at the constant lobbying by Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff and Red Bull team boss Christian Horner to Michael Masi over the radio.
After the race Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn said team principals should no longer be allowed to speak to the race director directly during races. Toto Wolff agrees.
“I agree with Ross,” the Austrian said.
“But I equally blame Ross and myself because we have been part of the decision making to broadcast more of the channels for the purpose of transparency and entertainment for the fans.
“There is so much going on the intercom that giving fans a little bit of an overview of all the little dramas that happen, like is the car breaking down, are we having some kind of strategy discussions, was meant well. But I think we overshot.
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“I need to take myself by the nose, and Christian. We were given the opportunity to talk to the race director directly, and because we fight so fiercely for the interests of our teams all of us overstepped.
“It certainly was part of the failures this year that under pressure from the team principals also the race director’s life wasn’t made easier, certainly.”
Wolff then goes one step further and says the teams’ sporting directors should also be limited in what they can say to the race director.
“We need to come back. I think team principals shouldn’t speak directly to the race director, it should be the sporting directors.
“I will go one step further and say I don’t think sporting directors should be lobbying race director or exercising pressure.
“They should be pointing to situations that the race director or his colleagues might not have spotted, but not lobby, not pressurise,” concluded Mercedes’ team boss.
