Toto Wolff says Mercedes is ready to sign up to Formula 1’s new Concorde Agreement but that he is still evaluating his own position within the team.
Formula 1 is in the final stages of discussions over the next Concorde Agreement – the rules that bind teams to the sport – and Mercedes had been a vocal critic of certain developments.
But on Friday Wolff said that further discussions with Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey had clarified the situation and the marque is now ready to commit.
“I’ve been pretty vocal after the meetings that we had within the team to say this is what we need and these are the clarifications we needed in order to move forward,” he said.
“But I’ve changed my opinion in Silverstone for the exact reason I’ve told you before.
“I don’t think the teams will ever be united, everybody tries to achieve some little deals outside, there is a blame culture in the media, so we have decided to move forward with Liberty [Media].
“I’ve had some very constructive discussions with Chase over the last weekend and most of the clarifications that we wanted to achieve have been discussed and I feel we are at a good point to sign the Concorde Agreement and move on.”
But Wolff’s own future as Mercedes’ Team Principal and CEO – a role he has held since 2014 – has previously been called into question, with the Austrian explaining his position.
“I enjoy what I do, I enjoy mostly because I love to work with the people in the team and there is no better place than to be in a meeting room with the engineers, to sit in the garage, and watch the great work that is happening around,” he said.
“I enjoy the battles that we have off-track, I like to engage with our sponsors and partners, and this is how I feel.
“What that means for the future is a decision I need to take together with my wife, and together with Ola [Kallenius, Daimler Chairman], and that doesn’t mean I won’t be around as Team Principal, or any other role, but just that I’m thinking about it.”
World Champion Lewis Hamilton has yet to put pen to paper on a new deal beyond 2020 but Wolff does not believe his own decision will affect the Briton’s choice.
“I think Lewis staying at that moment is the best he can do, and what he wants to do, he has the possibility of achieving great success going forward, winning more races and hopefully championships,” Wolff said.
“It’s flattering he says it is dependent on what I do but I think he doesn’t need me. He has a great team there that will always support him.
“As I said I haven’t taken the decision yet, these are discussions that are ongoing, that are positive, and I enjoy them.
“I don’t want to give it a spin that I am leaving because that’s not the case, it’s just that I am in a moment of reflection where F1 is heading to, what is happening around the Covid case, and also personal reasons that I said before.
“Susie [Wolff] is in a good place running a Formula E team and that means she is away a lot.
“I have been to god knows how many F1 races, I think 120 in the last eight years, and that is something we are thinking about.”
