Marko Hanželic
"The financial reality is different now than it was before the coronavirus crisis," he says Wolff. Interestingly, it could changed situation also led to the three-pointed star brand being included in racing series, in which it is not currently represented.
This would be at least a possible “side effect” of the introduction budget ceilings in Formula 1, which was once again lower than previous plans. Next year, each team will have to run the season with $ 145 million (which is just under € 130 million). This corresponds to about a quarter of the current one Mercedes budget in formula 1.
Pri Mercedes they must therefore respond to these changed conditions, he says Wolff, and adapt to them. The first man of the Mercedes team explains: "We need a new approach and we need to recruit staff in new areas."
Wolff does not rule out the possibility of Mercedes expanding its "motorsport portfolio" again after leaving DTM in 2018 and entering Formula E last year. The Austrian at the head of the Mercedes F1 team says: "Who knows? Maybe by participating in other racing series, we can manage to retain the staff and know-how and human resources that we would otherwise lose due to budget constraints. "
The adoption of a lower budget limit was necessary, according to Wolff, also because it is also necessary for teams in F1 to make a profit and no loss. In addition, the Mercedes F1 team can with this parent company Daimler proves that Formula 1 is more than just a sports and marketing platform and that Mercedes can, in new circumstances, "Maximum cost neutral".
