Toto Wolff labelled his fellow Formula 1 team bosses as "one-trick ponies" as he launched an attack on rivals he deems to be selfish.
There has been plenty of tension among teams this season amid arguments over a swathe of issues that have arisen. Those subjects include, but are not limited to, the effects of 'porpoising', the controversial 'flexi-floors' being used by some teams and the budget cap which threatens to punish those who overspend.
Many of the early-season squabbles went unnoticed as the disagreements have been taking place in the boardroom rather than at the race track. But as each race weekend goes by the disharmony becomes ever more apparent.
Even after the recent three per cent increase to the budget cap to account for inflation, top teams feel they cannot spend enough as the smaller outfits beg for the limit not to rise again. Top teams like Mercedes have warned on several occasions that it will likely not be possible for them to remain under budget for the year.
Meanwhile, the Silver Arrows have also been the team worst affected by porpoising and were the main drivers in pressuring the FIA into action, which has been achieved.
On top of that, they feel their Red Bull and Ferrari rivals have been pushing the regulations to gain advantages they deem to be unfair. All those sensitive areas are likely to form part of the explanation as to why Wolff was so happy to publicly call out his fellow team bosses in a recent interview. "There are many [team principals] now in our sport that are just one-trick ponies," he told Square Mile .
"They run teams very well, there's no two ways about it, but I think you need to have an ulterior focus in what you do. I believe that you can only do well when you're able to put your own role, your own team, and the sport into the perspective of the wider world.
"I think that my 20-year background in finance has helped me to not only develop myself but also shape the team into the commercial operation that it is today. But I'm still learning. I'm 49 plus one, and I wonder where that trajectory takes me in the future."
