Mercedes boss feels smaller F1 teams' 'stubborn position' on budget cap is 'the worst for the sport'

Mercedes are one of three teams on the grid demanding an increase in the budget cap this season. This is in contrast to the other seven that are happy with how things currently stand.

As reported by PlanetF1, Wolff provided reasons for the team's budget cap demands, emphasizing that the goal is simply to allow employees to offset high levels of inflation. He said:

“It’s not that we want to generate more profit, it’s literally allowing people to have their salaries compensated for the extraordinary inflation they are suffering from. So, it’s not that we suddenly want to have more, but let’s stick to the fact when we entered the year and the premises that we ended the year and then let’s look at the numbers now. And then hopefully we can find a way to adjust.”

The 50-year-old then went on to criticize the other teams for their 'stubborn position', saying:

“I think the worst for the sport is having a stubborn position that some of the smaller teams think that the big ones are trying to gain an advantage and we’re actually going to screw them by not allowing them to do this and us on the other side seeking to lift the ceiling, which we don’t want to do. And I can tell you from my position as a team owner, I don’t want to lift the ceiling just to have a cost cap ever increasing and basically outmanoeuvring the initial concept, but I want my people to be well paid especially in such tough circumstances.”

Smaller teams insist that an increase in the budget will give rise to the disparity between the top teams and those who are in the midfield, but Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says that rather than creating a performance-related gap, the budget will essentially be used to increase staff wages.

Meanwhile, rising inflation in the UK has been quite the topic of conversation, given that several teams, including Mercedes, are based there.

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George Russell admits he expected a race win with Mercedes by now in 2022 season

George Russell, who moved to Mercedes at the beginning of the 2022 season after three years at Williams, admitted that he expected to have a race win to his name seven races into the season.

As reported by f1.com, the Briton claimed that despite not having achieved his maiden victory, he is "pleased" with his performance so far. He said:

“I think if you told me prior to the season that we’d be seven races in and I wouldn’t have a victory to my name, I would have definitely been a bit disappointed with that. But I think given the pace of the car and given where we’ve been as a team, I’ve been reasonably pleased with how I’ve performed. I think the results have been maximised.”

Russell currently stands fourth in the drivers' standings and has achieved one podium finish so far this season.