Toto Wolff plays down tension with Frédéric Vasseur after Ferrari update dispute. Ferrari vs Mercedes: Toto Wolff reacts to Frédéric Vasseur’s criticism over upgrades.

The political battle between Ferrari and Mercedes continues to extend well beyond the racetrack, with the rivalry increasingly playing out behind the scenes as well. This is far from a new development, however. The tension has been building since the winter, beginning with the compression ratio controversy—a matter eventually resolved by the FIA with a technical clarification before quietly disappearing from the spotlight—and has continued through the debates surrounding the ADUO system and the latest aerodynamic and mechanical upgrades.

Toto Wolff’s recent remark that “Ferrari seem to have unlimited upgrades. Soon they’ll run out of budget cap money” did not sit well with Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur, who interpreted the comment as questioning the Scuderia’s integrity and compliance with Formula 1’s financial regulations. During the British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone, the Frenchman hit back in his media session, urging everyone—including the Mercedes boss—to remain calm.

Wolff attempts to calm the situation

Speaking to Sky Sport F1 after qualifying, Toto Wolff tried to ease the tension with a smile while standing by his original point.

“I’ve known Fred for many years. He’s always been a very emotional person and he gets angry quickly. Then again, he’s French… But that’s normal. We’re all passionate about our teams and we all want to do well.”

“I simply pointed out that they’ve already introduced a lot of upgrades on their car, while we can’t do that at the moment. We’ll bring ours later in the season. I never said he’s a cheat, but he probably stopped at the headline and didn’t read the articles. Your headlines are always a bit aggressive, and he didn’t read the rest.”

Too close to remain friends

The strong relationship between Frédéric Vasseur and Toto Wolff has never been a secret. Even so, the Mercedes team principal admitted that Ferrari’s current competitiveness inevitably changes the dynamic between them.

“Fred and I have been friends for a long time, but right now it’s too competitive for that. Ferrari have made enormous progress and they’re doing a lot of things very well.”

With Ferrari’s recent development programme attracting attention across the paddock and Mercedes preparing its own upgrade package for later in the season, the rivalry between the two historic Formula 1 teams appears set to continue not only on track but also in the political arena, where every technical innovation and every public comment is carefully scrutinized.