There have been many rumors in recent months about Toto Wolff’s future at Mercedes. Both director of the sports sector of the German manufacturer and shareholder of the Formula 1 team, the Austrian has often denied reports of his departure, especially to Aston Martin. Today, he claims to be in the place that suits him and says he wants to stay in command of the Brackley team in F1 if the challenge is still up to his expectations. He does not hide it either, the break forced by the coronavirus crisis had reinforced his desire to find the track.
“I think having a challenge, feeling challenged is the most important thing before deciding what to do”, says Wolff about his future. “It has always been the case for me. Coming back to the circuit at Spielberg has shown me that I really love this environment. I love competition. I am very happy to find my team on track, to fight, and it was important for me to see and feel that. “
Wolff is aware of this, his multiple hats complicating negotiations around a new mandate at the head of Mercedes. On this point, he says he does not want to rush anything, and takes the opportunity to twist once again the speculation that relations are not looking good with Daimler CEO, Ola Källenius.
“For me it is a little more complex because it is not only a team manager contract but also shareholding”, he reminds. “The contract runs until the end of 2020, that’s when it should end. We have good discussions. There is clearly an intention to continue together, Mercedes and me. We are not particularly in a hurry. I have 100% confidence in Ola Källenius. I could not wish for a better relationship with the CEO of Daimler. We will therefore continue these discussions and I hope that we will achieve a good outcome in the coming months. “
For his part, Källenius also denounced these rumors. “Not everything we read in the media is true”, he points out to Sky Sports. “Toto and I are very close. We talk quite often. I am very happy to be there [au GP d’Autriche, ndlr] and to support the team after all the work it has done this winter. “
The Swede also reaffirmed the future of Mercedes in Formula 1, welcoming the quest for cost reduction that will make F1 “financially sound”, as well as the more ecological approach recently adopted. “In Formula 1, we have the best hybrid technology in the world. Thanks to it, we can all move together towards the carbon neutrality of our sport. We have also presented a plan to make it progressively greener. These two aspects, sustainability and carbon neutrality make the future brighter for F1 and for Mercedes in F1 “, he concludes.
