Toto Wolff has warned the FIA and Liberty Media not to take Ferrari’s F1 quit threat lightly.
As negotiations over a new commercial deal and regulations beyond 2020 loom, many long-serving F1 figures have heard Ferrari’s quit threats before.
But Mercedes boss Wolff says it’s different this time.
Referring to Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne, he said: "He has clear ideas about what formula one must look like to be a platform for Ferrari.
"If he sees no advantage for the brand, he will turn off the light, quite simply and without remorse," Wolff is quoted by the German-language formel1.de.
So Wolff’s advice for Liberty Media and Jean Todt?: "Do not mess with Marchionne. Formula one needs Ferrari more than the other way around."