Wolff criticizes the 'ridiculous' agenda for the F1 Commission meeting.

      "We need to be transparent about this and refrain from arguing."

      Toto Wolff has criticized as a "joke" a topic set for discussion in Thursday's F1 Commission meeting. Earlier in April, Formula 1 officials and engine manufacturers—along with leading carmaker CEOs—gathered to debate a radical suggestion to move away from the controversial and groundbreaking 2026 engine regulations and consider reverting to V10 engines.

      Concerns have been raised regarding the equal distribution between traditional engine power and electric power. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner stated, "The FIA has conducted its research, and I believe their main goal is to avoid excessive lifting and coasting during the race, which would be detrimental to the sport and extremely frustrating for the drivers."

      However, there is speculation that those advocating for the V10 engine switch—particularly Red Bull and Ferrari—are mainly worried that their 2026 power units won't be competitive. In contrast, Horner noted in Saudi Arabia, "Mercedes seems very confident about the work they've done for next year."

      Nonetheless, Audi and Honda are the strongest proponents of enhancing the hybrid aspect of the F1 power units, claiming that without the 2026 regulatory shifts, they wouldn't have entered or remained in the competition.

      During the earlier April meeting, it was decided that Formula 1 would continue with the 2026 regulations as planned, although the FIA confirmed that "All parties agreed to continue discussions regarding the future technical direction of the sport."

      Mercedes boss and co-owner Wolff expressed astonishment at the prominence of the engine topic on the agenda for Thursday’s F1 Commission meeting. "Reading the F1 Commission agenda is almost as amusing as some of the comments I see on Twitter about American politics," he commented.

      Reports suggest that Red Bull and Ferrari have advocated for Thursday’s discussion to potentially include a vote on modifying the 50-50 balance to lessen the significance of electric power. Horner has refuted this assertion. "It's not something we've lobbied for or requested," he affirmed. "If they're doing it for the benefit of the sport, then it deserves our support."

      Nevertheless, Wolff is outraged. "I genuinely want to protect ourselves and refrain from commenting, but this is ridiculous. Just a short time ago, we had an engine meeting, and now this issue resurfaces on the agenda."

      Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur is calling on his fellow team executives to avoid a public conflict over the matter. "We need to be open about this and stop arguing," he emphasized, "even if someone believes they hold an advantage because of the battery or other factors. This could lead to the worst-case scenario for Formula 1."

      Vasseur clearly supports revisiting this topic in Thursday's discussions. "We’ve never experienced such a significant regulatory shift, as it's the first time we are developing a chassis and an engine while simultaneously altering the regulations," he remarked. "This poses a challenge for both the teams and the FIA, so let's talk about it this week. Hopefully, we can reach a reasonable compromise."