F1 breakaway ‘on the cards’, warns Wolff
Mercedes principal says Ferrari chief is unhappy Hamilton poised to sign £40m-a-year contract
A breakaway championship to rival Formula One has gathered further momentum after Toto Wolff, the Mercedes executive director, warned that it was a “realistic” possibility.
With the new season only days away, Wolff is the sport’s first team principal to reveal that a rebel series could be “on the cards”.
Bernie Ecclestone, who governed Formula One for four decades, claimed last month that disgruntled Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne had already staged talks over a rival championship. Ferrari are disappointed with Liberty Media’s vision for the sport beyond the expiration of the Concorde Agreement – a deal which binds the teams together until the end of 2020.
Ferrari are willing to quit F1 over Liberty’s plans for a simpler engine and the redistribution of prize money.
“The perspective of doing something else is a realistic one, and it could happen if we don’t align our vision,” said Wolff. “Marchionne has a clear vision of what Formula One should represent for Ferrari, which is a purist sport that isn’t a shopping channel. I would strongly encourage all of the sport’s stakeholders not to try to provoke him.
“I agree with most of the things Sergio says because Formula One has a certain DNA and it is a sport that needs to stick to its roots.
“So, don’t mess with Marchionne. Formula One needs Ferrari more than Ferrari needs Formula One.”
The new campaign gets under way here on Sunday and Wolff ’s team will start as favourites to win a fifth consecutive constructors’ championship.
Leading the Mercedes charge will be Lewis Hamilton, who could sign a new £40million-a-year deal, taking him until at least the end of 2020, before the curtain-raiser at Albert Park. The 33-year-old is also bidding to become only the third driver in F1 history to win the title more than four times. “Lewis came back strong from the winter and in a good frame of mind,” Wolff added.
“He is looking forward to the start of the season and he even enjoyed driving at the tests in Barcelona, so that was a novelty. For me, all the signs are positive.
“Lewis is at a stage in his life where he is settled in the team and well accepted. He is a strong pillar for Mercedes and can achieve another record-breaking year.”