Luckily, Max Verstappen and friends managed to serve up an interesting race on Sunday, otherwise the much-lauded 70th Anniversary Grand Prix threatened to be overshadowed by the ongoing row over Racing Point.

Even as sections of the media keenly anticipated how many drivers would take the knee, Lawrence Stroll was taking centre stage, hitting out at those teams dragging the (soon to be changed) name of his team "through the mud".

On a day the Silverstone-based outfit clawed back 14 of the 15 points deducted by the FIA just a few days earlier, as many continue to speculate Mercedes involvement in the affair, Toto Wolff was sending out mixed messages, on the one hand throwing down the gauntlet to those teams looking to appeal last week's ruling whilst at the same time seemingly offering the hand of friendship as he seeks to mediate the escalating row.

"If someone thinks we have done something wrong, they should protest," he told reporters. "We are happy to go to court.

"We have not been protested," he continued. "We have done nothing wrong, and I strongly believe Racing Point have done nothing wrong.

"I believe if it goes to the International Court of Appeal, the lawyers have a strong opinion that this is a case that has very solid pillars and therefore everybody's in a good place about that.

"Our reputation is important but it is intact," he insisted.

However, with the clock ticking and the deadline fast approaching by which time, having notified their intent to appeal, Ferrari, McLaren, Williams and Renault, have to decide whether they will persist, Wolff argued that going to the International Court of Appeal wasn't in anyone's interest.

"I don't think that anybody is interested in this continuing forever and going to the International Court of Appeal," he told Sky Sports F1. "It will be a month or two until there is the case with lawyers involved, and therefore, everyone is trying to be pragmatic.

"I was invited to be the mediator between the two groups," he revealed, "which I tried to satisfy."

Without a hint of irony - considering his stance on the Concorde Agreement - asked if talks with the various teams seeking to appeal last week's ruling had been successful, he replied: "They're all so stubborn," adding, "but I think we made progress, a little bit.

"In the next 48 hours, we should come to a conclusion whether the appeals remain upheld or everybody decides it's not worth going that way. Racing Point was penalised anyway."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by kenji, 11/08/2020 14:09

"@ Aroutis I somehow don't see Stroll having too much influence in the 'mediator selection.'! It has been suggested that Wolff has 'too much skin in the game; to be able to act impartially in any mediation. As for Hamilton's longer term employment as a driver for MB...well not so long ago he envisioned a very long term relationship with MB stretching far and beyond his driving career. That said he can, like MB can, change their minds. Reading and listening to the outpourings of Wolff i get the distinct feeling that he is not enjoying having his cage rattled. If this saga goes on all the way to the Appeals Court, which i hope that it does, then we may see a different team arrangement take place. Maybe that was the plan all along..."

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2. Posted by aroutis, 11/08/2020 12:58

"He was... invited. I am pretty sure he was invited by Stroll. He is trying to protect his investment and soon to be new team, at the same time Mercedes has like 2 -3 days to sign the Concorde agreement, while Daimler is not exactly a fan of F1 and is looking towards Formula E. At the same time Hamilton hasn't signed a new contract and one of the reason 's as the rumor has it, is he doesn't wish to have a long term commitment with Mercedes. As for Bottas he only has a one year contract (per usual).
But, yes, Toto has only been.. invited. To mediate at a case where there is a clear collusion between Mercedes and Aston Martin.

Honestly, so funny Toto. Thanks for the chuckles :D"

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3. Posted by Esplen, 11/08/2020 6:55

"Nothing to do with Racing Point copying the Mercedes designs, this is all about the Concorde Agreement."

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4. Posted by kenji, 11/08/2020 1:21

"As one further aspect of this issue, could someone / anyone, enlighten me as to what effect a 'reprimand' has? In the case of a driver who receives three reprimands,that usually attracts a race penalty, i believe. What happens when a team is receiving reprimands? Are they also penalised in a similar manner? If, as i fear happens, then the team is receiving nothing more than the equivalent of the 'wet lettuce leaf' slapdown.

I have also read one [ unsubstantiated ] report that Kallenius is not too happy with Wolff's possible conflicts of interest. I too, would, under the same circumstances, have the same apprehnsions. Wolff is a substantial shareholder in the AMG MB team and he is also a shareholder [minor ] in Aston Martin who will be the entrant in the 2021 for the now named RP team. Included in that is the fact that RP/Aston Martin are customers of AMG/MB? In an attempt to hose down the speculation of differences with Kallenius the two appeared in an interview with Sky some few races back and publically acclaimed their bromance!!! It wasn't at all convincing. I'm quite sure that these issues have been canvassed but all the same.....would you appoint Wolff as a mediator in the 'copycar' dilemma?"

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5. Posted by F One, 10/08/2020 19:02

"Toto is massively up himself."

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6. Posted by AndyM, 10/08/2020 18:30

"Spelling error in my post Wolff and « in one form or another »"

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7. Posted by AndyM, 10/08/2020 18:28

"Woolf must know who passed the CAD drawings, and how many of those drawings were passed to Racing Point. Was anything else given in on form or another? "

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8. Posted by kenji, 10/08/2020 13:06

"Compounding this issue is the position of Wolff as mediator!! Are they really serious? This is becoming a bigger farce as the clock ticks down...."

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