Formula 1 reacted swiftly after Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff broke his silence over negotiations on a new commercial deal for the sport.
Wolff has repeatedly declined to comment on discussions over a new Concorde Agreement between the teams, the sport and the governing body. However in today’s FIA press conference he said the world champions “weren’t treated in the way we should have been” during the negotiations.Wolff said Mercedes is “happy with a more equitable split of the prize fund” and “the way success is rewarded and possible for everybody.”
However he believes Mercedes stand to lose more commercially from the new deal than Ferrari, who will keep some of their long-standing privileges to a reduced extent, and Red Bull.
“We are, I would say, the biggest victim in terms of prize fund loss in all of that,” said Wolff. “Ferrari has maintained its advantageous position,. For Red Bull it obviously balances out with Toro Rosso. So it’s us that are hurt the most.”
While Mercedes has not yet agreed terms with Lewis Hamilton for next year, he appears unlikely to join another team. Wolff pointed out that increases the value of Mercedes to the sport.
“I feel that Mercedes has contributed to the sport over the last years,” he said. “Apart from being competitive on track, we have the driver that has clearly the most global appeal.
“And we feel that whilst being in those negotiations we weren’t treated in the way we should have been. Therefore, there is a bunch of open topics for us that are legal, commercial and sporting and in our point of view, I don’t feel ready to sign a Concorde Agreement.”
However many of Mercedes’ rivals have indicated they are ready to sign. Shortly after Wolff spoke, F1 issued a statement insisting it will not delay an agreement any further.
“Formula 1 has engaged with all teams in a collaborative and constructive way and listened to all their views,” it said. “This agreement is important for the future of the sport and all our fans. We are moving forward with this and will not be delayed any longer.”
Asked how far from a deal Mercedes and F1 are, Wolff said: “It depends on the other side.
“If you’re willing to sit [at] the table, address the critical topics, discuss them, come to maybe compromise outcome, then I think it can go pretty fast. But I haven’t seen that approach.”
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BasCB (@bascb)
7th August 2020, 17:05
So Mercedes is doing a “ferrari” – i.e. saying “we are too important for the sport to lose, we deserve more than the others were offered”. OK.
I agree with the FIA and F1 that they shouldn’t.
OOliver
7th August 2020, 17:17
We can’t say anything because we don’t know what is being offered. But from what Wolff implied, Ferrari and Redbull will earn more than they do, some how.
ian dearing
7th August 2020, 18:10
I thought it was understood Ferrari will keep certain deals that give them extra payments and there will be a cross over with the two RB teams as they are allowed to share technology that will impact their combined budgets.
So I think Wolffs point; whether its true or not, is that RB and Ferrari will be allowed a bigger budget than they are.
And Im sure there will be some here who are quiet happy for Mercedes to be punished for being successful.
ColdFly (@)
7th August 2020, 20:08
We know quite well what’s being offered. @dieterrencken shared various inside views on this.
Mercedes is only to lose more relatively because of the success bonus which has increased a lot for them over the past couple of years.
MEGATRON M12 (@megatron)
7th August 2020, 17:06
Liberty are parasites. They knowingly bought stolen property from a man under indictment for corruption and bribery. The 99 year lease should be considered null and void. The teams should rid themselves of liberty and rightfully establish ownership of the commercial rights. It is absurd that liberty steal more money than Ferrari. Merc and RBR recieve every year.
The teams should unite and get rid of the incompetent liberty parasites.
Jon (@talus21)
7th August 2020, 17:12
I don’t see why any team gets special terms. Your entry gets a certain base pay out and then prizes are awarded based off results. How hard is this? If Ferrari want to go let them. They need F1 as much as F1 needs them.
Dale
7th August 2020, 20:15
Agreed.
Everyone gets paid equally for their part in the show, then you go earn your bonuses.
Bradders (@bradders)
8th August 2020, 0:23
Feels a bit like Animal Farm.
zimkazimka (@zimkazimka)
7th August 2020, 17:42
I don’t understand how Lewis driving for Mercedes plays any role in this. Previously he was a McLaren driver, so you can say they played a significant part in his upbringing. Should they have a slice of preferential treatment for that too??? Also, the mention of Alpha Tauri balancing things out for Red Bull – what does this mean exactly? I thought Alpha has it’s own budget and team despite the teams being closely linked. It’s not like one and the same budget right? Or is Toto talking about something else here? All in all, the only thing I agree with him on is the ridiculous preferential treatment of Ferrari, which they appear to waste anyway.
LEMAYIAN (@lems)
7th August 2020, 17:50
I agree with Toto. Probably he’s forthright about it and the other teams are saying something else to the media, and something else at the negotiating table.
DAllein (@)
7th August 2020, 17:50
I love Mercedes, hope they give Liberty and FIA the Finger
Adam (@rocketpanda)
7th August 2020, 17:55
Might be an unpopular thing to say but I’d have no difficulty in seeing them leave. I doubt they will, but if they are really going to quibble that they should get more when they’re already comfortably winning everything by a margin and will inevitably be very well compensated for doing so, I dunno. I disagree. Then again I disagree with Ferrari having a veto but they still have that too.
I thought this agreement was going to help the lower teams survive and compete more efficiently with the front runners, kerb spending and give us more of a balanced field and equitable prize structure? This just sounds like the same guys arguing to maintain their advantages.
Esploratore (@esploratore)
7th August 2020, 21:51
Indeed, I hope fia won’t budge: mercedes is dominating, they HAVE to accept, else they’re free to leave and the sport will be better without them since we’ll have actual competition between teams!
Patrick (@paeschli)
7th August 2020, 18:05
I wouldn’t mind them not being there in 2021. Finally someone else than Hamilton winning…
Will Jones
7th August 2020, 18:23
I mean, team Brackley aren’t going to pack up and vanish. They might change names, but those engineers, and employees and all the money that Merc invested in the team will still exist.
Pironi the Provocateur (@pironitheprovocateur)
7th August 2020, 19:20
You are right. The only thing changing would be Mercedes branding on the factory team. They would still develop their own engines and work as they work now.
Adam
7th August 2020, 20:26
really? Why would Mercedes sell their team? Why not keep all that brilliant engineers and have them work on new road cars for Mercedes?
anon
8th August 2020, 12:05
@paeschli so, will you then complain if all you do is to change the situation to one where somebody else constantly dominates instead?
Stash (@stash)
7th August 2020, 18:44
If I was Lewis I would consider doing something else entirely. What is the point of hollow championships where your only competitor is your team mate. What is the point? He has enough money so it is not about the money you would think. If he wants to prove himself as one of the greatest drivers of all time then a move to a championship that was actually a competition would make sense to me. I would like to see him do that and succeed in his endeavor. The lack of competition for the championship has become a joke. All down to an engine. Where were Mercedes before the hybrid era? They were not winning championships that is a fact – unless you go back to the fifty’s was it? Have other’s noticed the oil smoke coming off the Merc’s? Does everyone just take the FIA’s word for it that Merc’s engine is legal? Just like how Racing Point were within the rules until Renault really pushed the matter. I’m sus’ on you Mr Brawn. The whole thing stinks.
Pironi the Provocateur (@pironitheprovocateur)
7th August 2020, 19:24
I agree, the smoke gets me nearly every weekend. With hints from Italy that Ferrari’s engine specifics were revealed thanks to the industrial espionage, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Mercedes used the data they gained in a clever way. Their extremely dominant engine is a bit dubious at the moment, they are a match or even overcoming last year’s Ferrari PU.
ian dearing
7th August 2020, 19:25
Yes, instead of Ham beating Bottas by a tenth in qually and 7 sec in the race, with a charging RB 10s adrift; we can have Max beating whoever by a 1s in qually and a minute in the race; with a Ferrari limping along 30s behind that. And we can all pretend thats better somehow.
Funny how the 10s gap between the Merc and RB is a disaster for F1, but the 30s gap between RB and Ferrari isn’t worth a mention.
Esploratore (@esploratore)
7th August 2020, 22:10
The thing is it’s only atm that ferrari is horrible, or well, I think it’s improving but not like the last years’ ferrari, but just take the last few years, we’d have great competition without mercedes overall!
Jack (@jt1234)
8th August 2020, 3:12
Quit crying and don’t sign.
Slavisa (@sylversurferr)
8th August 2020, 7:52
The most annoying team principal on the grid. Special treatment for cheating with smokey engines, special tyres, rims, DAS system?