Wolff after damage Mercedes: 'Third of budget increase already wasted'

It was a dramatic qualifying session for Mercedes in Austria. Both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell lost control of the W13 on the track. The result was major damage for the team. Team boss Toto Wolff is disappointed; the increase in the budget cap is already largely through.

Mercedes has already lost part of its budget increase

On the Friday of the Austrian GP weekend, it became clear that this year's budget ceiling will be raised. The teams indicated early in the year that the budget would be very tight. According to teams like Red Bull Racing and Ferrari, high inflation had not been taken into account when setting the cap. The 3.1 per cent increase in the budget has freed up some room for manoeuvre, but for Mercedes it has been curtailed immediately.

FormulaPassion.it quotes Wolff at the FIA press conference: "After the double crash there was a lot of work for the mechanics. We threw away a third of that increase yesterday with two crashes. Last night it looked like someone had taken apart a Lego car on the floor. The damage was considerable." Wolff jokes, but the consequences for the team seem huge. Mercedes are already at a huge disadvantage from the start of the season and have to be extremely careful with their budget. In effect, it means Mercedes will have to roll out better upgrades than Ferrari and Red Bull with the same money.

Budget increases not popular

The budget increase did not end up being a popular measure, with no less than nine teams voting in favour. It is a compromise that does not really work for any team. The bigger teams fighting for the title and podiums would have liked more budget, while the smaller teams did not want any increase at all. On the situation at Mercedes, the team boss says: "Energy prices are falling slightly, shipments remain high and inflation is stabilising. The decision taken in the F1 Committee helps us, but does not solve all our problems." Wolff concludes that, from a sporting point of view, perhaps the right decision was made: "Now no one is happy, but that is actually a good outcome."