"There wasn't any arm twisting from our side", claims Toto Wolff about F1 drivers agreeing to race in Jeddah

The missile attack on the Aramco oil facility, less than 10 miles away from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Friday at the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, led to several discussions between the teams and drivers. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff revealed that the discussions were clear and devoid of any pressure from either side.

As reported by Motorsport, Wolff commented on the outcome of the Grand Prix event and the discussions that led up to it, saying:

“There wasn’t any arm twisting from our side, there were good discussions. When the team principals talked to the drivers, I think what we talked was sense and not at all [with] any pressure, but maybe that was perceived in a different way. In the end, the show and the spectacle was amazing and what we delivered as a sport was great. And I think this is what sports should do. To be honest, I’ve been here [and in] five years, I’ve seen change. And I repeat what I said before: this is where we are, but there’s just so much more to do. A lot.”

Several drivers revealed that they were nervous about the circumstances but were reassured that it would be safe to continue racing.

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"No fun at all" - Toto Wolff on struggles for Mercedes in F1 2022

Eight-time F1 constructors' world champions Mercedes are struggling to compete at the top level in the 2022 F1 season. Team principal Toto Wolff, however, believes that this will only make them "stronger" in the end despite their performances over the last two race weekends.

As reported by Sky Sports, Wolff commented on the team's current position, saying:

“We were right in the middle of those fun games at the front for eight years. It’s extremely painful to not be part of those games by quite a chunk of lap-time deficit. It’s no fun at all. It’s an exercise in humility and it’s going to make us stronger in the end, even though it’s not fun right now.”

Mercedes have had a double-points finish in both races so far but are certainly nowhere near the top in terms of pace and reliability.