Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed that the recent spate of crashes involving the team's drivers has put the Brackley squad in serious trouble with Formula 1's strict budget cap regulations.
Wolff’s concerns arose following George Russell’s high-speed crash during Friday’s second practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix, a mishap that came just a week after the Briton’s incident in qualifying at last week’s US Grand Prix in Austin.
Last month at the Italian Grand Prix, rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli also suffered a significant crash during his FP1 debut at Monza. The string of accidents has resulted in significant repair costs, which could push the above its mandatory budget threshold.
Wolff detailed the extent of the damage sustained by Russell’s W15 in FP2 and which required a comprehensive – and costly – repair job.
“I think we can keep the old chassis, but everything else has to go out,” Wolff told Sky Germany.
“The engine has to come out, the gearbox has to be checked and then everything else. Two corners of the car are completely gone. So it’s serious damage.
“We’re in serious trouble. We are all struggling to stay within the budget cap and of course we had a bad accident with Kimi at Monza.
“Then the second one with George last week [in Austin] and now again this week.”
The cost cap, introduced in recent years to level the playing field, and set at approximately $135 million this year, limits how much teams can spend in a season, and the expenses associated with repairing or replacing damaged car components count towards that cap.
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This means that repeated incidents can significantly impact a team's financial flexibility.
Russell’s latest crash was recorded at 35G, a considerable impact that required him to be examined at the FIA medical centre. Fortunately, he was given the all-clear to continue racing in Mexico.
“[It was] 35G,” Wolff divulged. “So that was a really big impact. He was taken to the medical centre, but he’s okay.
“But of course, the car is badly damaged… but we have the [spare] parts.”
The series of incidents poses a dual challenge for Mercedes: repairing the damaged cars while staying within the financial limits of the budget cap.
As the season draws closer to its conclusion, Wolff and his team will be under increased pressure to carefully manage their finances while ensuring the cars are competitive on track.
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