$135,000,00 Handicap Termed Enough as Toto Wolff Dismisses Ugly Politics to Bring Down Red Bull

Mercedes and Red Bull have been the only two teams engaged in a power struggle for P1 in the World Championship in the last decade. For 8 years, the Brackley outfit ruled the grid. And for the last 2 years, Red Bull has been doing so. But instead of complaining and playing dirty politics to get their position back, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff feels that the $135 million budget cap is enough of a leveler for all teams to compete for the top spot.

BoP or Balance of Performance, is a common regulatory mechanism deployed in Sportscar racing. It is done to keep all competing teams’ car specifications within a certain limit. It ensures a level playing field for all competitors. In F1, it does not exist. When Wolff was asked if the FIA should bring the BoP into the sport, he flat-out denied it. He said Red Bull might be too far ahead, but as long as the budget cap exists, it’s fair competition.

Wolff said, as quoted by Motorsport.Nextgen-Auto, “The reason I love this sport is that it’s meritocratic and the entertainment follows the sport, not the other way around. We can’t create a balance of performance, a BoP, or anything else that would level the competition, which is what it is. We already have the budget ceiling and the ATR [limitation of wind tunnel tests according to the classification of manufacturers], which are already a kind of BoP.”

He further added, “We had that for years with Mercedes, where we finished first or second in every race–which was certainly not very entertaining. That’s why we need to work better and get back into the race. Because like a lot of fans, we will be frustrated when we think we’re really close to Red Bull after qualifying. But that during the race, we will see a car disappear in the distance!”

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He not only acknowledged that Mercedes needs to do a better job, but also said that Red Bull has done a fantastic job in making their rivals look like F2 competitors.

Toto Wolff Calls Mercedes’ W14 an F2 Car as Max Verstappen Cruises to Victory In His F1 Car

At the Hungarian GP, Lewis Hamilton started on Pole. But Max Verstappen‘s pace was such that he easily took P1 and led the race till its end. By the end of the race, he was 33 seconds clear of Lando Norris, in P2. Citing the same, Toto Wolff said that they have to embrace the “bitter reality” that Verstappen is showing.

“It was like a bunch of Formula Two cars against a Formula One car,” said Wolff, as quoted by Aol. “In the F2 gang, our car was quick. The F1 car won by 33 seconds. We are going to fight back and win races and championships, but we saw the pace Max had, and that’s the bitter reality.”

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In Budapest, though they did not get a podium, Mercedes showed that they are capable enough for one. The next race in Belgium is Verstappen’s favorite. Can Lewis Hamilton and Co. manage to upset the Dutchman at Spa?