Formula One: Mercedes threatens to leave the sport, just as Ferrari did
By Asher Fair
Mercedes has now joined Ferrari in terms of threatening to leave Formula One if Liberty Media goes ahead with its proposed engine rules and budget caps in the 2021 season.
A few weeks ago, Ferrari threatened to quit Formula One over the proposals that Liberty Media had in terms of engine rules and budget caps for the 2021 season, thus meaning the engine manufacturer would depart from the sport following the conclusion of the 2020 season.
At the time, Ferrari wasn’t the only engine manufacturer that expressed doubts over Liberty Media’s vision for the future of the sport, with Mercedes and Renault also expressing their doubts, and that was vindicated earlier today in a big way.
Mercedes has now joined Ferrari in terms of threatening to quit the sport over Liberty Media’s engine rule and budge cap proposals that would come into effect in the 2021 season if they do, in fact, go through, meaning Mercedes would also depart from the sport following the conclusion of the 2020 season along with Ferrari.
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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff made clear the fact that he was not happy with Liberty Media this past season, the first season during which they owned the sport after they purchased it in January, replying with the word “nothing” when asked to name a highlight from the season that came as a result of the mass media company’s presence in the sport.
Here is what Wolff had to say about possibly joining Ferrari in leaving the world’s top racing series following the end of the 2020 season if Liberty Media’s plans for engine rules and budget caps do come to fruition in 2021.
"“Such a scenario is quite conceivable. Just as it is for Ferrari. If we do not see what Formula 1 stands for, then we have to ask ourselves the difficult question: not if but where do we want to operate in motorsport at the highest level?”"
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Do you think Liberty Media will go through with their plans in the 2021 Formula One season? If so, do you think Mercedes and/or Ferrari will carry through with their threats to leave the sport completely as a result of it? We may now know the answer to either question for at least three more years, so right now, it all boils down to pure speculation.