Toto Wolff: 'I don't think there is a crisis'

DW: Do you think Nico Rosberg still has a chance to become world champion this year?

Toto Wolff: Yes, absolutely. There are many races to go, many points to score and you can see how quickly it goes when you do not finish a race and your main competitor scores 25 points. Like you say: The championship isn't over until it is over.

What is the reason that Lewis has been so dominant in recent races and Nico does not win anymore? Around the time of the Monaco race, things were close between the two...

You cannot really say that. Lewis is on a roll. He has momentum. He had many great races and both of them are on a similar level and it can swing in either direction pretty fast.

If you had to compare them both, does either of them have more going for them?

No, they are two totally different individuals. But at the end of the day when you take a stop watch, they are very close to each other.

Let's talk about the last race. I think the thing with the tires was a little bit chaotic.

It was not chaotic at all for us. We followed the procedure – that was the procedure that we always follow with Pirelli. And then during the race we were told that something was wrong with the pressure (of the tires), but finally the stewards looked at it and cleared the situation. So I think it was a storm in a tea cup really.

You don't think it could happen again in Singapore? I mean, it is very complicated, from what I heard.

No. I think the FIA together with Pirelli are going to clarify the rules. When you need to measure tire pressure and when they need to have certain levels. And that is pretty easy to handle.

All the discussions about the tires started in Spa. Singapore isn't easy on the tires, either. What do you think?

Yes, but I think it was a particular effect in Spa. We had loads on the cars we have never seen before because you go faster through the corners than ever. I think there was debris on the track and the combination of the whole thing made tires explode. Pirelli analyzed the situation and are moving forward. I have no doubt that it will be okay.

You don't think it could happen again?

You can never tell. This is motor racing. We go at very high speeds and tires have always been deflating or exploding. It is just part of the sport.

It is very hard for Pirelli. They have to construct tires that should not be too solid…

I think as a tire manufacturer you need to deliver a product that up to a certain specification needs to hold the loads and the speed. But you want a tire which degrades in performance so the races are not boring, while at the same time you want it to have peak performance. All together is a very difficult task.

Some people say Formula One is boring, that the sport is in a crisis. What is the problem?

I don't think there is a crisis. There is a product which is one of the most successful global sports. We have good revenues, good income, TV audiences are stable or growing in the most important markets, and digital audiences are growing. Of course we have challenges like many other entertainment platforms, like many other sports contents, but there is more talk about a crisis than there actually being one.

And you are already planning new rules. What do you want to change?

For 2017 we are working on a different aero concept with wider tires, more spectacular cars, quicker cars, but it is early days.

Will all of these changes focus more on driver skill?

Yes, we are bringing it a bit more into the driver's realm of responsibility. It is very engineering-driven today and the drivers should take more responsibility. A good example is race starts. We want the driver to have a conventional clutch on the steering wheel for the starts. These measures are slowly being implemented.

Another thing making Formula One thrilling again is Ferrari. How competitive is Sebastian Vettel?

Ferrari has done a really good job in catching up over the winter. They have come out of nowhere, winning two races and they are second in the championship. We take them very seriously, but it is Ferrari, so it is to be expected.

Do you think they could become a real danger in the competition this year?

Yes, I always expect the competition to grow and Ferrari has had some great races. I have no doubt they will be a very tough opponent.

Good luck!

Thank you very much.

After being named an executive director of the Williams Formula One team, Toto Wolff became the executive director of Mercedes' F1 team in 2013. He is married to Scottish race driver Susie Wolff.

This interview was conducted by Gerhard Sonnleitner.