Toto Wolff makes “very close” F1 cost cap admission after crash-strewn 2024

Toto Wolff has revealed Mercedes were “very close” to breaching F1’s cost cap following a crash-strewn end to the 2024 season.

Three major crashes during the back end of the 2024 season put a strain on Mercedes due to a lack of spare parts.

Kimi Antonelli’s crash at Monza and two George Russell crashes later in the season put Mercedes in a predicament.

Russell was forced to run a ‘Miami-spec’ floor in Mexico following his crash in Friday practice.

Not only did it impact Mercedes’ on-track performance, but it also left them in a difficult financial position.

Wolff confirmed that it had significant implications for their financial spending for the year.

“Very close. You can’t build up a big egg nest,” Wolff told AMuS. “It’s more the case that you overshoot at the beginning of the year and then start to save.

“At the end of the year, we had to do without some upgrades in aerodynamics and mechanics because there was simply no money left to produce the corresponding parts.

“The accidents at the end of the season really get you into trouble. Kimi [Antonelli] in Monza, George [Russell] in Austin and Mexico. At one point we only had one set of a certain type of wing.

“In Mexico we couldn’t go back to the old aero specification because there were no spares available. There was no money left within the cost limit for new ones.”

A new chapter for Mercedes in 2025

Mercedes go into 2025 without Lewis Hamilton in one of their cars.

Instead, 18-year-old wonderkid Andrea Kimi Antonelli will make his F1 debut for the team alongside Russell.

Mercedes have struggled to get to grips with F1’s current regulations in the ‘ground effect era’.

While Mercedes took four wins last year, they were miles off the pace compared to the top three in the standings.

Mercedes have lacked consistency, often left scratching their heads amid their varied performance levels.