Wolff a fox in sheep’s clothes

Toto Wolff is a sly fox in sheep's clothes. He will suggest options to spice up F1 with Mercedes retaining their advantage.

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff believes Formula 1 can be made less predictable to placate Bernie Ecclestone after Ecclestone threatened to introduce an FIA standard option engine.

"We are all pretty clear we want to move forward, and I'm having really good discussions with Bernie every single day about where things should go," Wolff told Autosport.

"Sometimes we have different opinions, different targets, and I know and absolutely accept what his target is.

"His product is difficult to sell if you know before the start which driver or team is going to win.

"Equally, and he accepts this as he has said it many times, in our world we need to optimise on Mercedes' performance.

"Now we need to align and find a compromise and ask what we can do to make it a little less predictable, give it a little more variability.

"From his perspective, from what I understand, there are other players who are much more opportunistic, who jump on that train for their own little cause.

"It is Bernie who is responsible for the show, and you need to listen."

"In sports, in business, like in any other relationship it is about compromise, and finding the best compromise.

"We are having discussions behind closed doors – and we are making the odd controversial comment in the press – which is necessary to re-emphasise what is needed, but I don't want to take part in that game."