Toto Wolff changes his stance on a Mohammed Ben Sulayem F1 decision he once opposed

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Toto Wolff has never been one to hold back his opinions on the major talking points in Formula 1.

Wolff has built a strong reputation in business, and his involvement with Mercedes has helped turn them into one of the sport’s most dominant teams.

Lewis Hamilton picked up six world titles during that era, while Nico Rosberg added another in 2016. The team also won eight straight Constructors’ Championships between 2014 and 2021, a stretch that put them among the most successful teams in F1 history.

The sport has seen plenty of changes over the past few years, from new technical regulations to its growing global audience.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been FIA president during that time and is due for reelection at the end of this year.

He recently floated an idea about future regulations that Mercedes might not be too keen on, especially with more changes already coming next season.

However, Wolff has since changed his tune about expanding the grid by two cars.

Toto Wolff changes tune on Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s move to bring Cadillac into F1

The possibility of an 11th team joining the Formula 1 grid has been discussed for quite a while now.

Back in 2022, when the project was still under the Andretti name, Wolff spoke to Motorsport about his reservations. “Andretti is a name that’s for sure, and the American market is important. But every team that is joining needs to be accretive, that means [they] need to add value.

“And it’s not only by paying $200 million [£149m] entry fee, but it needs to demonstrate, in my opinion, what it can do for the other teams, for F1 and FIA. Only then the sport will grow.

“We are the absolute pinnacle, this is the Champions League, or the NFL, and redistributing franchises is not the goal, that’s not how it should be, and it’s not the intention of F1 and the FIA either.

“But if there is a real brand coming in with good people, necessary funding, not only the 200 million but probably you need more like a billion if you want to play in this club straight from the get-go. And then why not?”

Wolff has since changed his tune. Speaking at Austria Grand Prix in 2025 he said: “You can’t deny that he’s ruling with an iron fist.”

He continued: “He doesn’t let anyone tell him what to do. That can have its advantages.”

Wolff went on to say that Ben Sulayem “probably got it right with the 11th team.”

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Cadillac’s first F1 line-up could have ties to Mercedes

One of the biggest decisions facing Cadillac before their 2026 debut is who will fill their two race seats.

The team has been linked with Valtteri Bottas, who is currently serving as Mercedes’ reserve driver.

Bottas has worked closely with Wolff throughout his career, and while he isn’t under direct management, Wolff would support him moving into a full-time race seat elsewhere.

There may be another link between Mercedes and Cadillac forming ahead of next season.

F1 Oversteer understands Frederik Vesti is also being considered by Cadillac, given that his path to a race seat at Mercedes appears blocked for now.

If either Bottas or Vesti end up joining Cadillac, it would reflect well on the role Mercedes have played in shaping their careers.

It’s interesting to note how Wolff’s view of the team has shifted even before they’ve turned a wheel in anger. It seems he sees more value in their presence than he once did.