Wolff warns F1 over 'manic depressive' changes

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has warned against making a "knee-jerk reaction" over a lack of entertainment during F1 races.

The sport has come under fire for a decline in overtaking action so far this season, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix Sprint weekend, in particular, a cause for concern with little movement across the field.

F1 cars are designed to vastly different technical regulations than in 2021 after new framework was introduced last season in an attempt to improve the spectacle by removing aerodynamic surfaces from the top face of the car to allow cars to follow more easily through corners.

Whilst the first year of the regulations proved a hit on the whole, the evolution of the regulations and the development work completed by teams have dented F1's aspirations to create action-packed races at every event.

Out of context

Suggesting calls for further changes to enhance the racing spectacle were a "knee-jerk reaction", Wolff told media, including RacingNews365.com: "In this sport, we tend to be manic depressive, from exuberance to depression. When things are going well, then it's great, then we have a race that’s not so great and obviously then we talk about it.

"Many things have been taken out of context though, to create headlines. And I think we just need to see whether we have a pattern that continues: whether overtaking is more difficult or not? Are the 20 cars in a second? Is that the right thing to do to have or not? And are we creating too much downforce through the floor?

"All that for me hasn't got the right answer, so we need to find a baseline over the next few races, see whether there's something which we can improve."