Wolff admits Mercedes could be forced to change F1 engine amid cheating storm

While Toto Wolff reacted passionately during the car launch press event to rivals complaining about Mercedes' engine trick, the Austrian seems a bit less certain a week later. With multiple competitors lodging complaints with the FIA, Wolff is not entirely sure the engine with its trick will be allowed to keep running.

“The sport is full of surprises. So there is never a situation where you can say you're sure about anything,” the Mercedes team principal began to GPblog.

Although Wolff said he has confidence in the governing body any changes to the engine would have major consequences for his team and its customers. “if you were to be told you can't operate the engine in the way you have been developed it that could be quite damaging for the performance."

In recent weeks, the pressure on Mercedes has been mounting. Where it was once thought that Red Bull stood on Mercedes’ side, that now appears uncertain. At Red Bull they may be aware of the 'trick', but not how to put it into practice. As a result, Ferrari, Audi, and Honda could gain an ally in their fight against Mercedes.

Wolff continued: "I think that the kind of lobbying from the other engine manufacturers has massively ramped up over the last few months. I mean, secret meetings, secret letters to the FIA. which obviously there's no such thing as secret in this sport ever.”

Although the FIA has known about Mercedes' trick all along, Wolff says a situation could still arise where the engine must be modified: “There is a governance process. And if that governance were to vote for an engine regulation change, you just have to take it on the chin. It is what it is. Obviously, in that case, it would be detrimental for all of the Mercedes-powered teams.”

Wolff is not surprised by the turn of events: “I've been here for a while, and you're being misled and you're misleading all the time. So there is no such thing as surprises anymore. The wind can change suddenly. Bernie Ecclestone would say, ‘change of circumstance.’ I said A) yesterday but today my opinion is B), and that happens all the time."