Toto Wolff admits F1 rules ‘need tweaks’ despite Mercedes’ Australia dominance

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted “there are things to tweak and improve” with the new Formula 1 ruleset, but that is to be expected on such a substantial regulation shift.

Mercedes earned a perfect 1-2 finish to start the season in Australia, the W17 establishing itself as the car to beat as George Russell headed Kimi Antonelli around Albert Park.

Toto Wolff says Formula 1 rules need tweaks after Australian Grand Prix

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Following the first weekend of Formula 1’s new regulations, opinion was split on how the new power units went down among teams and drivers.

Some, like Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, were vocal in their criticism of the new cars, reigning world champion Norris believing Formula 1 has gone from the best cars seen in the sport to the worst in the space of a season.

Russell, meanwhile, countered that by adding Norris’ opinion may be different with a winning car underneath him. However, the nature of needing to recharge battery power multiple times over the course of a lap appears to have polarised drivers, team bosses and fans alike.

Despite heading the championship standings at this early stage, Mercedes team principal and CEO Wolff acknowledged some changes may happen, admitting the new rules did not go down well with everyone.

That being said, the opinion of Formula 1 fans should remain a part of any conversations moving forward.

“Melbourne was an intense first race weekend under these new regulations and one that delivered plenty of excitement,” Wolff said ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend.

“As always with a big change, there are things to tweak and improve, and some negativity to overcome, but that’s a normal part of the process and it’s important we listen to the fans and understand what’s important to them.

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“There was plenty of racing through the field with drivers being challenged to get the most out of their cars.

“As teams gain knowledge and the field converges, I am confident that will only get better too. Our focus is on doing the work required to be in that fight.”

With Mercedes having had a flying start to the season, Ferrari was on the team’s tail throughout the race in Australia.

With the team having completed a race distance in full racing conditions in Australia for the first time, Wolff believes other teams on the grid have yet to show their full hand.

“We faced several challenges in Australia, which was to be expected with such new cars,” Wolff added.

“The team handled them well and overcame them to deliver the result we wanted. We came away with many learnings and areas to improve, which we will look to do in China.

“As it is a Sprint weekend with just one hour of practice, it is going to be even more difficult to get the car in a good place before the first competitive session.

“We saw a close fight at the front with Ferrari last weekend, and several other teams who haven’t shown their full potential yet, so we know we are in for a real battle.”

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