Good interview with Toto here -
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2021/12/16/wolff-angry-in-disbelief-pain-as-he-expands-on-f1-finale/
“Yes indeed, we believe we had a very strong case,” he said. “If you look at it from a legal side if it would have been judged in a regular court it is almost guaranteed we would have won. But the problem with the ICA is the way it is structured. The FIA can’t really mark their own homework. And there is a difference between being right and obtaining justice.”
He understood why some observers may be questioning why Mercedes has backed out of an appeal.
“I can understand the frustrations of many and to be honest, I am also in two minds between my perspective and my judgement on the legal position, and my realism of the outcome of such proceedings,” he said.
“As I said before, there’s a difference between being right and obtaining justice. And I don’t think that at the moment we are set up, in terms of our governance, to end up in a situation that would have given us remedy, that would have reinstalled a result that was taken away from Lewis before the last lap of the race. And that’s why, heavy-hearted, we have decided not to appeal because we wouldn’t have got the result. Now I think we have the right tools in hand to make sure that the decision-making going forward is better and we will be holding the FIA and the decision-makers accountable for making the sport and the decision-making more robust and consistent.”
Sounds like he absolutely wanted to appeal but knew it was utterly pointless as it would have been a kangaroo court.
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2021/12/16/wolff-angry-in-disbelief-pain-as-he-expands-on-f1-finale/
“Yes indeed, we believe we had a very strong case,” he said. “If you look at it from a legal side if it would have been judged in a regular court it is almost guaranteed we would have won. But the problem with the ICA is the way it is structured. The FIA can’t really mark their own homework. And there is a difference between being right and obtaining justice.”
He understood why some observers may be questioning why Mercedes has backed out of an appeal.
“I can understand the frustrations of many and to be honest, I am also in two minds between my perspective and my judgement on the legal position, and my realism of the outcome of such proceedings,” he said.
“As I said before, there’s a difference between being right and obtaining justice. And I don’t think that at the moment we are set up, in terms of our governance, to end up in a situation that would have given us remedy, that would have reinstalled a result that was taken away from Lewis before the last lap of the race. And that’s why, heavy-hearted, we have decided not to appeal because we wouldn’t have got the result. Now I think we have the right tools in hand to make sure that the decision-making going forward is better and we will be holding the FIA and the decision-makers accountable for making the sport and the decision-making more robust and consistent.”
Sounds like he absolutely wanted to appeal but knew it was utterly pointless as it would have been a kangaroo court.