Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsMercedes

Wolff: F1 needs to talk itself up more

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Formula 1 needs to be more positive about the way it presents itself as a sport to the public.

The introduction of the V6 power units in 2014 led to criticism of the new engines from Bernie Ecclestone, while recent indecision over the 2017 regulations has led to questions being asked of the current governing structure within F1. After FIA president Jean Todt called for more positivity surround the sport, Wolff agrees F1 should try and promote itself in a better light in future.

”As a team because the environment always changes, the regulations change, the politics, you need to adapt yourself,” Wolff said during a Twitter Q&A for the Mercedes YouTube page. “I have read once that the most successful species is the one that is able to adapt itself most quickly and this is about Formula 1, this is how Formula 1 functions.

“So there are threats that we know today but there are ones that we don’t know and they will appear tomorrow, so we just need to be aware that everything is possible in Formula 1.

“In terms of the sport itself I think we need to stop talking ourselves down. This is important. There is some great news around the sport, there is now an American team coming in and many other exciting factors.

“We just need to understand where the media is going, are we watching the race in the same way we did 20 years ago? I don’t think so. How do we need to adapt? But that is not my business, it is somebody else’s and I’m sure they will find the right answers.”

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.