Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff has repeatedly had to deny speculation over his future with the team, with multiple reports suggesting he could stand down, or jump ship to a rival.
Those reports are mostly based on speculation and are linked to further reports that Mercedes itself could quit Formula 1, something Wolff and parent company Daimler AG have moved to shut down.
But Wolff has now admitted he has yet to make a decision over his future and says he must “question myself” as to whether or not he is the best person to continue leading the team, or whether someone else could offer more.
“Something I am really proud of in our team is that we have always transitioned senior members of the team into different roles, we have brought up talent and the same applies to me,” he told select media including MotorsportWeek.com.
“I have been lucky enough to be at the helm of Mercedes since early 2014, with years that I wouldn’t want to miss. I really enjoy the interaction and working with all of my friends at the F1 team and Daimler. This is something I wouldn’t want to miss.
“Nevertheless, I need to question myself. I don’t want to become a Team Principal that goes from great to good without realising that he is maybe not adding as much anymore to the team as you did in the beginning.
“I still feel that I can add a lot, but of course I am contemplating about my future, I am in discussions with Ola [Källenius – Daimler chairman] about how that goes.”
Wolff is a 30 per cent shareholder in the Mercedes-Benz AMG Formula 1 team and therefore has a deeper involvement than most team bosses.
“It is not a simple employment contract, but it involves a shareholding and we are in the midst of the process in carving out our joint future.
“Therefore, I don’t want to stick to some form of a particular wording, whether it is Team Principal or Managing Director.
“To be honest with you I haven’t taken any decision yet because we haven’t even started racing. All these agreements and discussions are happening as we speak.”
