Wolff: “F1 is pure racing now, only those stuck in the past don’t appreciate it” but qualifying still needs work

With three wins in the first three races of the 2026 World Championship, it’s natural that Mercedes is today one of the biggest supporters of Formula 1’s new regulations. After the Japanese Grand Prix, Toto Wolff openly expressed his enthusiasm for a category that, at least for now, is bringing the Silver Arrows back to the center of attention.

While enjoying Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s second consecutive victory, the Mercedes team principal strongly defended the current technical and sporting philosophy of F1, dismissing criticism that has emerged in recent weeks, particularly regarding energy management and on-track entertainment. For Wolff, the sport is moving in the right direction.

Speaking to Sky Deutschland, Wolff praised the new era: “Formula 1 is changing and becoming pure racing. Watching one driver recharge energy while another deploys it is very exciting. We’re talking about a racing science that is developing and is in the hands of the drivers. Perhaps Max Verstappen and others preferred last year’s rules, when at Suzuka we barely saw overtakes.”

These words perfectly illustrate Mercedes’ position. Those who are leading, and especially those who seem to understand the new systems best, have no interest in dismantling the regulatory framework. It is therefore not surprising that Wolff is among the least inclined to join calls for immediate, sweeping changes.

In a press conference, Wolff reinforced the point, almost provoking the attendees: “No one can complain about a lack of exciting races. Do you agree, yes or no?” Facing a lukewarm response, he added: “Only conservatives, traditionalists, and those living in the past might not appreciate it.”

Strategy is key under the new F1 rules

According to Wolff, the new Formula 1 rewards those who can interpret the strategic side of racing best: “Today we’ve seen that everyone is learning to manage energy systems, recovery, deployment, the boost button, and overtakes. Track position becomes crucial, especially on a circuit like Suzuka.”

Analyzing the race, Wolff highlighted how difficult overtaking was: “There weren’t many options to pass Oscar Piastri, and even against the Ferraris, we sometimes struggled. At Suzuka, track position played a huge role.”

Qualifying needs work: Mercedes meeting scheduled for April 9

Toto Wolff, however, did not completely close the door to changes. For him, the main issue is not Sunday’s race but Saturday’s qualifying: “For me, the race isn’t a problem, we need to work on qualifying, and we will do so in London on April 9.”

This approach is clear: promote exciting races on Sunday while limiting corrective changes to points that don’t risk removing Mercedes’ competitive advantage.

Safety concerns after Bearman crash

Wolff also addressed the serious safety topic raised by Oliver Bearman’s violent Suzuka crash, which occurred when he unexpectedly encountered a much slower car while harvesting energy. From this perspective, the Mercedes team principal acknowledged the issue and stressed the need to address it: “This is something we absolutely need to analyze. We don’t want it to happen. The regulations are still in a very immature phase, and I’m sure the FIA and we teams will study the incident carefully to understand how to avoid such situations.”

He also admitted that the current power unit and algorithm management can produce overly sensitive and unpredictable behavior: “This is another aspect we need to work on, to make the system a little less sensitive. The slightest lift of the throttle shouldn’t trigger an unpredictable situation.”

Toto Wolff added, with a thinly veiled reference to critics in the paddock: “Perhaps one or two statements yesterday were a bit exaggerated. Some were right, others wrong. If you use tons of energy in the first sector, don’t be surprised if you run out in the last.”

In short, Toto Wolff is open to adjustments but avoids dramatizing the issue. He recognizes some fine-tuning is needed, yet continues to defend the overall regulatory framework. The reason is simple: today, Mercedes seems to be the team that has best interpreted this new era of Formula 1.