24/06/2025 15:40
Toto Wolff has explained why Mercedes is not interested in entering
the Hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship (WEC),
alongside some of its F1 rivals. The team principal of the
Brackley-based squad shut down the idea the eight-time
constructors' champions could compete alongside the likes of
Ferrari, Alpine, Cadillac and soon McLaren. Primarily, the
contentious Balance of Power (BoP) arrangement in WEC is what puts
Wolff off, arguing it is "not for" Mercedes despite it competing in
the LMGT3 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a class that is also
subject to BoP rules. Those regulations seek to create a level
playing field in endurance racing across different cars within a
specific class. It does not attempt to create parity in performance
or erase deficits, but rather balance potential performance.
Mercedes is currently focused on its GT3 car, with a replacement
for its current model scheduled for 2027, which is another reason
Hypercar is not currently being considered. Nonetheless, the
Austrian explained how having various peformance factors monitored
does not appeal to him or the team, which returned to the famed
race at the Circuit de la Sarthe this year for the first time since
1999. "We don't like the BoP," Wolff told Bloomberg's Hot Pursuit!
podcast. "We don't want someone monitoring your power, your
consumption, your weight, the abilities of your drivers." The
53-year-old detailed what restrictions he would rather see in WEC,
and why he believes it would be a better system, something that
could even entice Mercedes to enter the Hypercar class. "You spend
so much money, time, and energy developing the fastest car," Wolff
explained. "Then you are given a 10kg weight handicap. "I just want
to build the fastest car. Just put a financial ceiling that you
can't exceed. So we can't spend more than X, 30/40 million euros.
"With that amount, you do what you want within the rules in place.
No one would need to bluff during winter testing or qualifying.
It's purely racing. "If that were the case, then we could look at a
programme. Currently, given the BoP, which allows officials to
judge that you are too fast, who add 10kg to you and then take it
away from another car the next day, it's not for us."
