Toto Wolff reveals details of secret paddock meeting with FIA president
Mohammed Ben Sulayem speaking with Toto Wolff. Silverstone, July 2023.
Toto Wolff has revealed what topics were discussed when he met FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem during the British Grand Prix weekend.
The Mercedes boss was pictured on the top floor of the FIA hospital motorhome shortly before qualifying at Silverstone and was deep in discussion with the FIA chief.
Rumours began to swirl about what two of the sport’s most powerful figures could be discussing with plenty of topics on the table, most notably early discussions regarding the new Concorde Agreement set to come into force in 2026.
Speaking after the Mercedes drivers had recorded a P6 and P7 finish in qualifying, Wolff revealed what was discussed in his chat with Ben Sulayem.
“It was entertaining,” he told media including PlanetF1.com. “The discussion was normal but it’s always good.
“There’s a few things that can be discussed. We discussed the overall situation in Formula 1, Concorde and these things.
“But it is more, we haven’t seen each other for a while and there was an exchange on a few topics.”
After some ill-advised comments at the start of the year, Ben Sulayem took a step back from F1 in February and now makes fleeting appearances in the paddock.
Meanwhile, McLaren’s CEO Zak Brown revealed the teams are “starting to talk about starting to talk about” the new Concorde Agreement.
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The main concern seems to be the anti-dilution fund which is currently set at $200 million. In the wake of new teams wanting to join the grid, Wolff has previously stated that figure should be significantly raised.
“What’s being said in public has created a perception that is diverging,” Wolff said of possible new entries. “But it’s actually not because the FIA and Formula 1 wrote Concorde as well as the teams.
“I think there’s probably a little bit of a negotiation position in there but the sense that I get is that everybody’s pushing in the same direction.”
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