Mercedes accept the FIA’s decision to ban the use of special engine modes in qualifying even if they feel it is targeted at them.
Starting this weekend at Monza, teams will only be allowed to use a single power mode in both qualifying and the race but some exceptions have been included mostly for laps at cruising speed and the overtake button can still be used in racing situations.
When the change when announced last month, Lewis Hamilton hit back claiming it was “obviously” aimed at slowing down Mercedes, but team boss Toto Wolff focused on the positive, arguing it would help the team in the race.
Then, last weekend in Belgium, the Austrian explained he does believe the grounds for the technical directive are strong even if it feels like a reaction to his team’s dominance.
“I think first of all the FIA has really struggled to look at all the data channels. These power units have become tremendously complicated,” he told Sky Sports.
“We want it to be policeable for them and so coming from that side, it was probably a good call for them [to ban quali mode].
Also Read:
“But then on the other side, when you are running away with the World Championship and you are winning every pole position, everybody is going to gang up on you.
“All the other teams, all the other stakeholders. I think that is normal.”
Given the considerable boost Mercedes has got from their single-lap qualifying modes this season, Wolff does admit its banning will peg them back.
But he concedes there’s little point in getting angry about it.
“I think it will hurt us in a certain respect because we have developed the engine to be really good in qualifying,” he explained.
“It comes really close to its limit. I really need to take my hat off to everybody at Brixworth who made that engine.
“I think slowing us down is a little bit annoying because it somehow doesn’t give enough credit to the unbelievable job everybody has done at HPP (High Performance Powertrains), especially in respect of last year when we were pushed to the end of our power.
“But it is what it is. It [banned elements] has existed in Formula 1 for a quite a while. I remember Red Bull got the blown diffuser taken off them.
“We’ll take it as good sportsmen and still try to do a good job.”
