Toto Wolff says he is ‘committed for life’ to the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team after recently inking a new contract with the German marque for three more years as Team Principal.
Wolff signed the new three-year contract to be Team Principal, but the Austrian says he is home at Mercedes. He will go into 2021 with eyes on taking an eighth consecutive Drivers and Constructors’ Championship double, with Mercedes having dominated the turbo hybrid era since it began in 2014.
And should he step away from his role of Team Principal in the future, Wolff says his home will always be at Mercedes, and as such he agreed to become one-third owner of the team alongside Daimler AG and INEOS.
“That is a misunderstanding,” Wolff is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com when asked about the length of his new contract. “I haven’t committed to a further three years. I have committed for life.
“We are three shareholders that own the company today, and irrespective of my own role, I could be team principal, CEO, executive chairman, at any time. But Mercedes is what I do.”
He admits there is pressure in the role of Team Principal, but after seven consecutive World Driver and Constructors’ Championship triumphs, he says it is ‘just the right amount of pressure’ on him.
“We have a good and fun environment, it’s a fun place to be, but at the same time, there is just the right amount of pressure,” said Wolff. “We love what we do, we set the right objectives. I think we are living our values day to day. It’s all about integrity, loyalty, pride, determination – that’s what sums it up.
“It’s not something you can put on a powerpoint and say this is how we are, but something we have set as standards over the last eight years.”
