Ahead of qualifying on Saturday at the British Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was spotted talking with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, leaving many to speculate about what was discussed.
Ben Sulayem was also on the podium on Sunday at the Silverstone International Circuit, as Max Verstappen claimed a sixth consecutive victory, ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton did exceptionally well to finish on the rostrum, given that he started in seventh.
The FIA president hasn’t been seen very often in the F1 paddock this season, after he took a step back from the pinnacle of motorsport ahead of the 2023 campaign.
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Wolff was seen with Ben Sulayem sitting on the top floor of the FIA hospital motorhome, with it having been rumoured that they discussed the new Concorde Agreement which will be introduced in 2026.
The Mercedes boss confirmed that the Concorde Agreement had been discussed, amongst a “few things”.
“It was entertaining,” Wolff told media after qualifying.
“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.”
The new Concorde Agreement is something which’ll likely be discussed much more in the coming months, given that several teams aren’t happy with it as things stand.
A concern amongst the paddock is the $200 million anti-dilution fund, something which Wolff has previously stated should be increased if new teams are introduced into the sport.
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The Mercedes boss shared that the entire grid is “pushing in the same direction” in regard to negotiating the Concorde Agreement for 2026, when the new power unit regulations are also introduced.
“What’s being said in public has created a perception that is diverging,” Wolff said. “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.”