Toto Wolff travels with mixed feelings to the very first race of the year, the Australian GP. According to the Austrian team principal, it feels a bit ‘trivial to talk about the sport’ while war has broken out in the Middle East. Nevertheless, the Mercedes boss still looks ahead to the Grand Prix weekend, although he does not yet expect the long-awaited pecking order between the teams for 2026 to emerge there: ‘Let’s see how the first picture unfolds’.
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Toto Wolff also starts an exciting new season in Formula 1 with his Mercedes team this weekend. The Silver Arrows’ W17 looked promising during the test days in Bahrain, although these test weeks did not go flawlessly. In his preview of the Australian GP, the Austrian speaks of both ‘encouraging signs’ and points of attention for the W17 during the first test kilometers.
“That is the nature of this sport: every weakness is an opportunity waiting to be exploited,” says the Mercedes team principal. “The W17 has potential, but the stopwatch never lies. Melbourne will give us the first real indication of where we stand.” Wolff does not expect to know immediately where his team stands in the pecking order after the race at the Albert Park Circuit. “It will take a few races before the competitive order has stabilized,” he predicts. “Albert Park is an energy-efficient circuit, so energy management and strategic discipline will play an important role. We are at the beginning of a new era for the sport. An era full of opportunities. There has been a lot of talk so far, but that can stop now and we can go racing. Let’s see how the first picture unfolds.”
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‘Feels trivial to talk about sport’
Wolff further admits that he travels to Melbourne with mixed feelings. According to the team principal, it feels ‘trivial’ to talk about motorsport, ‘given the situation in the Middle East’. “We follow the developments in the region with concern. We hope that the protection of civilians remains above all else,” said the Austrian. “Several Mercedes team members were involved in the planned tire test in Bahrain (by Pirelli, ed.). Fortunately, they have since been able to leave the country safely. Given the seriousness of the situation, it makes no sense to talk about the possible further consequences for F1 in the coming weeks. We know that the FIA and F1 will continue to monitor events and take the necessary and correct decisions when needed.”
FOM and FIA previously said they were monitoring the situation in the Middle East. The governing body will make a decision later on the upcoming Grands Prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
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