Toto Wolff reveals conditions for Mercedes return to Le Mans

According to Bloomberg Hot Pursuit, Mercedes Formula 1 team principal and CEO Toto Wolff shared his views on the possibility of the team returning to the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Mercedes’ history at Le Mans has been marked by tragedy — the fatal 1955 accident that claimed the lives of driver Pierre Levegh and 83 spectators, and aerodynamic issues with the CLR car in 1999.

“Le Mans is one of the greatest races in the world. Formula 1 is indeed the best with the best drivers and fastest cars, but Le Mans 24 Hours and Indy 500 are at the next level,” said Wolff.

Currently, Mercedes only participates in the GT3 category through a customer program with Italian team Iron Lynx. Wolff emphasized — the team would consider returning to Le Mans if the Balance of Performance (BoP) regulations are removed.

“We don’t like BoP — we don’t like someone assessing our power, energy consumption, weight, and driver ability. I just want to build the fastest car,” he stated.

Wolff suggests implementing cost caps like in Formula 1 — giving teams creative freedom within specified budget limits, without the need for additional performance adjustments.