Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has revealed that his team is at the end of its cost cap budget for the 2024 season. With a competitive season and accidents at the end of the year, the team has had to count his money so as not to exceed the limit imposed by the FIA.
“Very close. We can’t build up a big nest egg” Wolff told Auto Motor und Sport. “It’s more at the beginning of the year that we exceed forecasts and start saving.”
“At the end of the year, we had to do without some aerodynamic and mechanical improvements because there was simply no more money to produce the corresponding parts.”
“Accidents at the end of the season really put you in trouble. Kimi [Antonelli] in Monza, George [Russell] in Austin and Mexico. At one point we only had one set of a certain type of fin.”
“In Mexico we couldn't go back to the old aero spec because there were no spare parts available. There was no money left with the cost cap to buy new ones. “
-However, the Austrian is in no way unfavorable to the budget ceiling and despite the difficulties in managing it, he sees it as a positive element: “Totally. Because he made the teams profitable and our sport more sustainable.”
