F1: 2017 resources switch a tough call - Wolff

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff has conceded to facing "a tricky call" over allocation of resources for 2017 while simultaneously pushing for this year's Formula 1 titles.

F1 regulations change considerably for 2017, when cars will switch to wider front and rear wings and tires in a push for substantially faster lap times.

A number of teams have already decided to switch focus to next season, but for those at the front such as Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, it becomes a question of dividing finances between this year and 2017.

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"We are evaluating every week how much resource in each department we want to switch to 2017," said Wolff. "There's already a lot going into 2017, but it's a tricky call.

"I think some teams stopped 2016 development very early, some of them even as early as January/February, once the cars hit the circuit.

"It is an advantage because the learning curve is very steep at the beginning, and if you're lacking two to three weeks, it can make a huge difference at the end. So it's a key question we ask ourselves every week."

Mercedes looks set to secure a third consecutive championship double this season. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen is the nearest challenger to Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' standings, with the Finn 62 and 61 points adrift respectively of the duo. In the constructors' title race, Mercedes is 131 points ahead of Ferrari and 137 clear of Red Bull.

Wolff joked the points lost by Mercedes with the collisions between Hamilton and Rosberg in Spain and Austria might have helped make a decision over allocation of resources that much easier.

"I wish we would have had those 80 points more that we lost and gave to the competition, but then it would be boring," said Wolff.

Rosberg still feels the level of development on the current cars will be key to the destination of the titles.

"It's going to be interesting now to see how much development still happens," said Rosberg. "At some point you are going to be shifting development more and more towards next year. That's going to be the key for the upcoming races now, to see who is bringing how much, and who is putting resources into next year. That's a big factor at the moment."

Originally on Autosport.com