CEO and Team Principal of Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team Toto Wolff is glad all ten teams agreed to the new Concorde Agreement and negotiations were brought to a ‘positive conclusion’.
“Last week, we and the other nine F1 Teams agreed to the new Concorde Agreement. We have always said that we wanted to stay in F1, so the agreement wasn’t necessarily all that surprising, but we’re happy that we could bring the negotiations to a positive conclusion. We are committed to our sport and we’re looking forward to the upcoming years which will see the biggest transition F1 has ever seen. This will reward agile, open-minded teams who can adapt successfully to the demands of the new rules.” stated Wolff.
As all teams travel to Spa-Francorchamps, Wolff reflected on the races from the previous weeks triple-headers. After tyre issues for both drivers at the British Grand Prix, the team needed a different mindset if they were to succeed in Barcelona.
“We really saw our team’s mindset come to life in Spain: After struggling in Silverstone, we analysed our problems and tried to come to the right conclusions within just a few days. A lot of people worked tirelessly so that we could have a better race in Barcelona and our strong performance on Sunday was the outcome of that effort. Winning in Spain was a great reward for all the smart work in the days before and it makes me very proud to see how this team just keeps raising the bar.”
Going into the third triple-header for the 2020 calendar, Wolff understands that Mercedes need to do all they can at a track they haven’t won at since 2017.
“After a weekend off, we’re now starting the third triple-header of the year. Our next race takes us to Spa where we haven’t won since 2017, so it feels like there’s unfinished business as we head to Belgium. It’s an iconic track and one of the fans’ favourites, but finding the right set-up can be difficult because of the variety of characteristics; on the one hand you want as little drag as possible on the long straights, but on the other hand, you need a certain level of downforce to be quick through the corners. It’s also forecast to be rainy in the Ardennes, which won’t make the job any easier.”
Looking back to Spa-Francorchamps of 2019, Wolff pays his respects to the unfortunate incident where young Formula 2 driver, Anthoine Hubert tragically lost his life.
“This weekend will also be the first time that we return to Belgium after the tragic loss of Anthoine Hubert last year. It was a dark day for the entire motorsport community and our thoughts will be with his family and friends as we remember him this weekend.”
