Toto Wolff thoroughly enjoyed the Miami GP. Not only because Kimi Antonelli won his third Grand Prix in a row, but also because Formula 1 treated its fans to a ‘great show’. In recent months, Wolff – unlike many drivers – has been a vocal advocate of the new regulations, and according to him, they paid off in Florida as well. Nevertheless, he is also positive about a possible return to V8 engines.
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“If there is even one person who complains after today’s race, they really need to hide,” Wolff joked afterwards to the press. “This was fantastic advertising for Formula 1.” The Austrian did add a small caveat: “This is a circuit where energy management comes into its own a bit better. There are good races and less good races, but this was really a great show.”
‘V8 is pure Mercedes’
Although the premier class has now focused on the hybrid V6 formula, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem announced last weekend that in the future racing should be done again with V8 engines. Despite his current support for hybrid powertrains, Wolff is open to that as well. “In the long term, we at Mercedes are open to new engine regulations,” he continued. “We love V8s; we only have good memories of them. As far as we’re concerned, that’s pure Mercedes.”
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Still, Wolff warned against hasty decisions. “But how do we make sure we don’t lose our grip on reality?” he wondered aloud. “If we suddenly switch to naturally aspirated engines, we might look a bit ridiculous,” he laughed. “Let’s take that into account and just create a great engine.” The team boss then let his imagination run free: “Maybe we can get 800 hp from the combustion engine and add another 400 hp of electric power. We are absolutely open to that. It’s not easy, but if it’s well planned and executed, you can expect Mercedes to come up with a real racing engine.”
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