Formula 1 could experience a major turnaround at the Miami GP, according to Toto Wolff. The Mercedes boss agreed with Ferrari boss Frédéric Vasseur’s assessment that the race in the United States could mark the start of a ‘new championship’.
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This idea emerged after comments made by Vasseur during the Japanese GP weekend. The Ferrari boss stated that the team needs to stay close to Mercedes, as the Miami round could change the course of the season.
Wolff showed agreement with his competitor’s assessment and highlighted that the break in April before the US race could favor changes in team performance: “Yes, it’s exciting. I think maybe we would have wished that this had continued in the two races in the Middle East (Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs, which were canceled due to the war in the region) and we could have scored a few more points,” said the executive at the Suzuka Circuit.
The Mercedes boss also believes that teams are starting to better understand how to extract the most from current systems: “But I agree. It could be the case. People have learned now, teams and drivers are starting to learn how to optimize the systems for their own benefit. And we have already seen the first indication of this,” said the Austrian, citing the performance of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the Japanese race, where the Australian driver finished in second place, behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.
Furthermore, Wolff believes that the updates planned for the upcoming races could further alter the balance of power. With the break until the Miami GP, teams will have more time to prepare innovations and improve their cars.
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The executive also downplayed Mercedes’ initial advantage in the season: “What seemed like an easy victory for us in the first two races is not the case, and we always warned about that,” he added.
For Wolff, the Miami round could mark a turning point in the season: “So yes, Miami will be for me too, a fresh start. How will the updates work? How do we optimize all the other systems? It’s going to be exciting,” concluded the CEO and Mercedes team principal.
With this, expectations grow for the next round of Formula 1, which could redefine the balance between the teams and open a new chapter in the championship battle.
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