Breaking news
Formula 1 Emilia-Romagna GP
Wolff has Mercedes F1 team principal successor in mind
Current Mercedes Formula 1 chief Toto Wolff says he has a successor in mind as team principal as he continues to ponder his future role with the team.
Luke Smith
Published: Nov 1, 2020, 3:46 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
With his current contract at Mercedes expiring at the end of the year, Wolff has been in talks with Daimler for some time about his future as he considers which role he may take up.
Wolff has previously acknowledged that overseeing Mercedes’ domination of F1 and run to seven world titles has taken a toll on him, and that he was fearful of creating a talent bottleneck.
Wolff said earlier this week he was on the lookout for a successor, and that although he would be staying on at Mercedes, it could potentially be “in another function” such as “CEO or chairman”.
Speaking on Sky Sports F1 after Mercedes clinched a record-breaking seventh constructors’ championship in a row with a 1-2 finish at Imola, Wolff was asked for an update on his future.
“My situation is a little bit different, because I’m a co-owner with Mercedes of the team, so I’m never going to abandon it, because it’s just what I love to do,” Wolff said.
“What’s better than to be part of a sports team, to be part of such a fantastic gang of people?
“What I said is that I believe everybody has a shelf life in a role. I haven’t come to the end of mine, I think I can still contribute.
“But I need to think about the future also going forward. Bringing somebody up, developing him doing this role, is something that is a fantastic challenge for me that will be one of the next chapters. But you will see me around for a while.”
Asked if he had anyone in mind as a potential replacement, Wolff replied: “I have, but I can’t tell you.”
Read Also:
- Hamilton hails Mercedes’ "unbelievable" seventh F1 title
- Bottas says he couldn't avoid Vettel's broken endplate
Wolff has previously overseen development of talent throughout the Mercedes team to ensure they continue to progress, as seen in 2017 when James Allison took over as its technical chief from Paddy Lowe.
Following his victory for Mercedes in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton said he could “definitely understand” Wolff’s considerations, but was confident whoever ultimately replaced him would be more than capable of doing so.
“I don’t know who he will replace, but again, he is a leader,” Hamilton said. “He’s not going to put anyone who is not up to the job. He will find the right people.
“That’s why we’ve had the success we’ve had, he’s found the right people and put them in the position to be able to shine as bright as possible. He has just empowered every person in this team to be the best they can be.
“He will find somebody who will be able to take on and continue. But it’s not one person, this team is not about one person, it’s a collective of a lot of people. Toto doesn’t build the car. It’s a real team effort.
“But I’m supportive of him, whatever he wants to do moving forward.”
Hamilton’s teammate, Valtteri Bottas, added that Wolff would be a “tough guy” to replace.
“He’s a smart guy, he knows what kind of support each team member needs, support and criticism, and how to help them to be better versions of themselves,” Bottas said.
“That applies to every single team member. He can read people well, he’s supportive. He’s done something incredible.
“He’s a great guy, and whatever he’s going to do in the future, I’m going to respect that as well. In the end, you’re living for yourself with this life.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Kvyat says "brave racing" key to fourth place at Imola
Next article Hamilton: No guarantee I'll be racing in F1 next year
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Luke Smith
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
Formula 1
Formula 1
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Formula 1
Formula 1
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Formula 1
Formula 1
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
More from
Mercedes
"I'll bombard myself with melatonin": Kimi Antonelli admits to driving "tense" and "tired" on cusp of F1 title
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
12 h
"I'll bombard myself with melatonin": Kimi Antonelli admits to driving "tense" and "tired" on cusp of F1 title
Mercedes out of performance window at Mexico GP - George Russell
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
20 h
Mercedes out of performance window at Mexico GP - George Russell
Latest news
How Marc Marquez could wrap up the 2026 MotoGP title in Qatar GP
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
45 min
How Marc Marquez could wrap up the 2026 MotoGP title in Qatar GP
Kyle Busch Remembered: Rowdy's top Martinsville moments
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Martinsville II
1 h
Kyle Busch Remembered: Rowdy's top Martinsville moments
MotoGP responds to Yamaha’s Qatar GP withdrawal
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
2 h
MotoGP responds to Yamaha’s Qatar GP withdrawal
Yamaha boycotts Qatar Grand Prix amid ongoing Middle East war
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
2 h
Yamaha boycotts Qatar Grand Prix amid ongoing Middle East war
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe