Toto Wolff Defends F1 Superiority, Slams Balance of Performance in Le Mans

While several F1 teams, such as Alpine and Ferrari, aligned cars in the World Endurance Championship, the director of the Mercedes team Toto Wolff, explained why the German manufacturer remained away from the emblematic hypercar class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Mercedes separated from the Le Mans race after a major accident in 1999, where the car turned dangerously after taking off at high speed due to aerodynamic problems. Currently, the presence of the team is limited to the GT3 class.

While Wolff recognized the glory of Le Mans, he revealed his bias towards F1, since it is the higher level of car sports. Although he said that all other racing forms arrive in second place at F1, he approached the possibility of returning to Le Mans on the Podcast Bloomberg Hot Pursuit. He said:

“Le Mans … I am a runner. The Le Mans 24 hours is one of the largest races in the world.

“Formula 1, for me – obviously, I am partial – is the best there is. These are the best drivers, the fastest cars, the biggest tracks. But if I had to say what is the next one? The Le Mans 24 Hours and the Indy 500. And then, for the initiates, the Nürburgring 24 hours. That, for me, is the top.

“What it is for me today is that we focus on the main platform, and it is Formula 1. This is what we want to do. It captures 99% of the public. Everything else happens in second position.”

Wolff then explained the obstacle which prevented Mercedes from running in Le Mans – the rule of balance of powers (BOP), which prioritizes equity in competition by ensuring that all cars are as equal as possible within a class. He added:

“As Mercedes, this is something we have done in the past, but we were not particularly … It was not our happiest place.

“And then there is the small warning of all this: at Mercedes, we run people. We do not like Bops – we do not like the balance of performance. We do not like someone assesses your power, your energy consumption, your weight, your driver’s skill …

“You spend so much time, money and efforts to develop the fastest car, then we give you 10 kilograms of ballast. I don’t want that. I just want to build the fastest car.”

Wolff estimated that a budgetary ceiling, like that of F1, is more logical to have a level playground. He explained:

“Formula 1 has shown how it should be done. Give us a cost ceiling. Do more of this – give everyone a cost ceiling. You cannot spend more than – whatever you have said – 30 to 40 million. And in these 30 to 40 million, you can do what you want.

“If that should have happened, then Le Mans would be absolutely something we are looking at. But for the moment, with BOP – that some officials judge if you are too fast, adding 10 kilograms to your car or withdraw from someone else the next day – it’s not for us right now.”