Toto Wolff has revealed that Mercedes might "sacrifice" strong results in the final four races of the 2024 season to focus on development for 2025.
The team has been dealing with budget cap issues after several recent big crashes, which have stretched their resources thin.
"We are now in serious trouble with the budget," Wolff admitted, following George Russell's crash in Mexico, which came on the back of his earlier incident in Austin. The team has had to make tough decisions regarding its remaining resources.
Russell, however, says he wouldn't mind if Mercedes didn't produce a new-spec floor to replace the one damaged in Mexico. "We may have to compromise for the rest of the season," he said. "To be honest, I would probably be fine with that because we are not fighting for the championship."
He added: "I would be more than happy to keep the old floor on now if it gives us a better chance for next year."
While Mercedes technically still has a shot at victories in the final races of 2024, McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull are far ahead in the constructors' standings. Wolff is already looking ahead to 2025, stating that his focus is on preparing for the future.
When asked about the team's chances of more wins this season, Wolff told Osterreich newspaper: "That would be a cool goal – eight drivers who are fighting and four really good teams."
However, he added, "I have set a clear course for the four races until the end of the year. I will sacrifice a good race result for better development for next year."
"For us, every session and every race from now is a test. It is more important to me than a possible victory that we try everything out – ride height, rear wing, suspension, etc. We are taking the risk now in order to learn," Wolff concluded.
