Mercedes Motorsport Dir Toto Wolff has told Formula One chiefs to "step back from making the fundamental changes to the sport planned for 2017," according to Paul Weaver of the London GUARDIAN. Those changes must be agreed before the end of the month and the details "will be chewed over at imminent meetings." But after an "intriguing, highly entertaining" Chinese Grand Prix, Wolff said that "it would be much better to leave well alone." Asked why the rules are going to be significantly changed, Wolff "took some time before replying" with a shrug, "I don’t know. We are having an ideal situation with great racing and three great races in a row now. Are we capable of reacting quickly enough and acknowledging that and reverting to regulations which seem to be OK now? I don’t know." The plan for '17 is to "make cars three seconds a lap faster by increasing aero and mechanical grip." The thrust is for "wider tyres and wings, and a bigger diffuser." There will be more downforce but that is expected to make overtaking "more difficult, and will come into conflict with the work done by the Overtaking Working Group." Wolff said, "Even if it is uncomfortable for the commercial rights holder that Mercedes have been running away with lots of the races and two championships, the longer you keep the regulations stable the more the performance is going to converge between everybody, and this is what is happening now." Ferrari, despite enduring three "frustrating races, appear to be faster and more competitive," while Red Bull is "getting stronger by the race." Wolff: "Somebody else, or us, are going to run away with the championship next year because it is new regulations and everything starts from the beginning" (GUARDIAN, 4/18).
