Formula 1 will consider proposals to allow teams to enter a third car on the grid, though Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is doubtful the idea will win broad support. Wolff has suggested three-car entries primarily as a way to give Mercedes’ junior drivers, such as Esteban Ocon and George Russell, more opportunities to race in F1. Mercedes is currently seeking seats for those drivers for the 2019 season, and recently ended its association with another junior driver, Pascal Wehrlein.
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Wolff argues that allowing extra cars would open up the grid and create more opportunities for young talent to test themselves in competitive equipment against established drivers. “I like the idea because the more cars we have in the field, the more opportunity we give to young, exciting drivers to fight in a competitive car against experienced drivers; it would create great stories,” he said. “Maybe be an easier access for talent.”
The concept is not new: F1 technical director Pat Symonds also floated the idea of three-car teams earlier in the year. But Wolff acknowledges resistance from other teams, particularly smaller outfits that fear being further outnumbered by the sport’s largest manufacturers.
“Some teams are saying that would mean three Mercedes and three Ferraris and three Red Bulls,” Wolff said. “If I were involved in a smaller team, that would be an argument.” He also noted the financial implications, questioning whether running a third car would be commercially viable and what the cost impact would be for teams.
Despite those concerns, Wolff said he would personally welcome a sanctioned third Mercedes to race young drivers like Pascal, George or Esteban to see how they perform. He also suggested that third cars could be integrated in various ways to limit their impact on championship fairness.
“We’ve looked at various scenarios. You could even let them participate in sessions in qualifying and then let them do their own race,” Wolff said. “If teams feel that meddling in the championship is not right, you could just make them not score constructors’ points, only driver points. There are many exciting ways to integrate them on the grid, but you have to respect that if some teams are not up for it then it’s difficult to implement.”
Wolff conceded that political dynamics within F1 might work against the proposal. “I’m not the flavour of the month in Formula One at the moment,” he admitted. “The ideas I bring up somehow end up in the bin, so maybe it’s better not saying anything and then someone else brings it up as the next great idea.”
This proposal raises several practical questions teams and the sport’s governing bodies would need to resolve: how third cars would be regulated, whether they would be eligible to score constructors’ points, the cost and resource implications for smaller teams, and how to ensure fair competition. Proponents argue that a controlled approach — for example, limiting the events where third cars participate or restricting their points eligibility — could protect championship integrity while expanding opportunities for young drivers.
Wolff’s remarks underline a broader debate about balancing competitive equity and talent development in Formula 1. Allowing three-car teams could accelerate the progression of promising drivers into the top tier, but the proposal will need careful design and widespread consensus to win approval from teams and officials across the paddock.
Will Wood contributed to this article.
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