Toto Wolff explains how the cost cap will not hinder Mercedes' recovery this season: "We're not developing two different concepts in parallel"

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is not too worried about the cost cap restrictions when it comes to developing the W14 F1 car.

From 2022, the FIA created a cost cap that forced every team to spend a limited amount of money on developing their cars. Though the Silver Arrows are struggling to reach the top of the table in 2023, Wolff does not believe that the cost cap will hinder their development throughout the season.

Speaking on Sky Sports F1 after the 2023 F1 Saudi Arabian GP, Mercedes' team principal explained how they are not creating two different car concepts that could deplete the budget. He said:

"No, it's not such a big problem because we are not developing two different concepts in parallel because we are not quite sure; we are going one direction, fully committed, so that does not change anything."

Toto Wolff also mentioned how Mercedes is hoping to benefit from the diminishing returns that Red Bull might face after their development curve plateaus. He concluded:

"Obviously, if you are a second behind, it's quite a long way to catch up, but diminishing returns with the leaders, we are hoping on that logic, banking on that logic. Let's see what the reality will show."

Though Red Bull are on another level in terms of pace, Wolff hinted that they could hit their development ceiling, especially due to reduced wind tunnel time and the cost cap. He feels that's when Mercedes could charge forward and fight for the top spot.

As of now, however, the Brackley-based team is miles from the front of the grid.

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Toto Wolff won't mind Mercedes W14 looking like Red Bull's RB19 as long as it is quick

Team boss Toto Wolff has recently admitted that he won't complain if the W14 eventually looked like Red Bull's RB19 after all the developmental upgrades. When asked by Sportskeeda about the extent to which Mercedes plans to change the concept based on its rivals', the Austrian replied:

“At that stage, we have no dogmatism of how the car should look like. It should just be the quickest possible race car. If that car looks like a Red Bull or basic, I don’t care. It needs to be quick. If it’s Red bull, we can put a sticker somewhere then I will have no shame if it’s quick. So no dogmatism. For example, we can get creative.”

The Brackley-based team is desperate to get back to winning ways and are trying almost everything with the car and its development. Hence, Wolff is willing to adopt Red Bull's design language, as long as it makes the W14 quicker than it was.