Cost cap prevented “arms race” and helped ‘best team’ McLaren win F1 title

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says Formula 1’s cost cap made the world championship a “meritocracy” rather than an “arms race”, after McLaren won its first drivers’ title since 2008.

Lando Norris prevailed over Max Verstappen and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri to end a 15-season streak of Red Bull and Mercedes triumphs in the world championship.

Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari used to be the wealthiest F1 outfits by a significant margin, but the cost cap introduced in 2021 made the championship a more level-playing field.

Mercedes struggled throughout the ground-effect era that began in 2022 and recently ended in Abu Dhabi, winning just seven of 92 grands prix over that period.

Asked whether the Silver Arrows could have recovered more ground without the cost cap, Wolff replied: “You know, we were pretty conscious when the budget cap came – not only for the commercial side of things, but also to have a more level-playing field among the teams, and not just the usual suspects that were outspending each other.

Toto Wolff, Mercedes

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“So, would we have been able to buy ourselves out? Look at Red Bull or Ferrari, they have the same financial opportunities or possibilities that we have. So, it would have again ended up in an arms race. And maybe it wouldn't have been McLaren fighting there with us on top.

“This is just a meritocracy. Best man in best machine wins. And it wasn't us.”

McLaren’s Norris has a similar outlook on the situation, claiming the Woking-based squad outdeveloped its rivals “by a long way” – though Red Bull eventually made up most of its deficit.

“Another constructors’ [title] feels the same as the first because to get the first was quite an achievement if you still look at where we were just three years ago,” the Briton said in October. “We’ve overtaken every team in terms of development. We’ve outdone them by a long way in terms of development.

“And in a time when it’s almost harder to do than ever – with more restrictions, less wind tunnel time, all of those different things, budget cap – that’s probably been more in our favour over the last five years compared to the budget that the other teams could run at.”

Additional reporting by Filip Cleeren