Toto Wolff has stated that he is “not sorry” for the cancellation of the team principals’ procession which was set to happen at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix.
Before every F1 race, the drivers are paraded in front of the fans on the back of a truck or escorted around a circuit in historic vehicles.
The previous Miami itinerary included a parade for the team’s owners, presumably as a homage to their newfound celebrity thanks to Netflix’s docu-series Drive to Survive.
Wolff said he was “not sorry” the march had been cancelled after confirming it.
“I’d rather skip [the parade],” the Mercedes team principal added, explaining his dislike for the previously planned display.
“I don’t think that team principals or team owners should be waving at the fans. I love the fans but it should be the drivers who are in the forefront. They are the athlete, the gladiators in the machines, and not any of us.”
The success of Drive to Survive, as well as improved levels of on-track entertainment, have helped F1’s audience grow in recent years.
With the increase in interest comes an increase in media and fan demands, which Wolff pondered on.
“The media attention is something which we need to be very grateful for,” Wolff said. “The sport is booming, the audiences are going up, commercial revenue is going up and we need to have the utmost effort to satisfy the demands of the media and satisfy the demands of the fans.”
“I find that great and something that I am proud of.”
“There are not many of you here in the debrief call. Probably there are more in the Ferrari session,” Wolff added, jokingly, in his post-race media briefing.
