News about Toto Wolff

JONATHAN MCEVOY: A trapdoor has fallen beneath them all. And F1 Confidential can reveal that Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali is the latest of the sport's leading figures to be vulnerable to the same fate. The affable Italian, 59, was set to sign his new contract with Liberty Media, the sport's American owners, in the summer but has yet to do so. A former Ferrari team principal, Domenicali has a year to run on his current contract. His supporters say there is no rush to re-sign and that a resolution may yet materialise, suggesting negotiations may be ongoing and that his destiny is in his own hands.

Russell is currently spending his third season in a Mercedes car and is seeing his ambitions of becoming a world champion tested by the garage's struggles during his career at the sport's former dominant outfit. The 26-year-old defended brilliantly at the end of the weekend's Singapore GP to hold off Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and finish fourth, and is a name under consideration within Red Bull's camp. The championship-leading garage are struggling in their attempts to deliver Max Verstappen a fourth consecutive world drivers title and could replace Sergio Perez soon.

JONATHAN MCEVOY IN SINGAPORE: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were withdrawn from their post-race media sessions in Singapore after a fractious evening at Mercedes. Team principal Toto Wolff said his two drivers were suffering from 'borderline heatstroke' in humid 30C heat. The pair were examined by a team doctor and excused the otherwise mandatory interviews by the FIA.

There's nothing understated about Lawrence Stroll, the Canadian billionaire who doesn't suffer fools gladly. 'This is the most exciting news in our Aston Martin history and the most exciting in Formula One in general,' he stated with typical gusto at the unveiling last week of Adrian Newey, the celebrated car designer. Some of Stroll's fellow members of the Piranha Club - the track's sharp-toothed collection of high-rollers - scoffed at his bombast when he became a team owner six years ago. 'You wouldn't want to get on his bad side,' is the verdict of McLaren chief executive Zak Brown. 'A steamroller,' is how Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff approvingly described his friend's approach to business.

Nico Rosberg has waned George Russell that his seat at Mercedes for 2026 is 'not safe at all'. Rosberg stated that Mercedes could still pursue world champion Max Verstappen. With Lewis Hamilton set to join Ferrari next season, it was confirmed by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff that Andrea Kimi Antonelli, 18, will take over.

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George Russell told Toto Wolff to 'let me f***ing drive', fearing he would crash if his Mercedes boss kept talking to him. The Briton capitalised on Max Verstappen and Lando Norris' crash to move from third place to win the Austrian Grand Prix. So excited was Wolff by the sudden prospect of victory that he blurted out an ill-timed radio message, saying: 'You can win this, George. You can win this.'

POLE POSITION: The two 26-year-olds are among the outstanding talents of their age but Verstappen's numbers trump Russell by dint of winning three world championships to none, and - yikes - by 59 wins to one. Verstappen has made extraordinarily brilliant use of his Red Bull, and he is signed up until the end of 2028. However, the new regulations coming in 2026 mean he remains the sport's most marketable commodity, his future uncertain. He is obtainable for approximately £80million a year. No team, if they could afford the price tag, and offer him winning equipment, would turn down the Dutchman's services. He is a winning machine, like no other.

Lewis Hamilton reportedly remains 'unhappy' with a key decision previously taken by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff amidst a difficult final season at the team for the British ace. Any hopes of a fairytale final season between Hamilton and the Mercedes F1 team, before the seven-time world champion departs for rivals Ferrari next year, already look over as the team's car continues to struggle.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has made it clear he is interested in recruiting the talented driver to take him away from the turmoil he has experienced at Red Bull this year. However although Wolff's offer may be tempting from a financial and PR aspect, the Austrian may struggle to convince the competitive Dutch man that he can produce a car he can win his fourth drivers championship.

Red Bull executive Oliver Mintzlaff criticized Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff over his very public attempts to try and bring Max Verstappen to his team. Rumors of a potential Verstappen departure has gathered steam in recent months amidst chaos within the Red Bull F1 team - including this week, when car designer Adrian Newey announced he was leaving next season. Mintzlaff, who is in charge of the Red Bull parent company's 'corporate projects' - which includes their sports teams - says he isn't worried over the Dutchman leaving.

Mercedes are reportedly preparing a staggering world record offer to Max Verstappen in a bid to lure the three-time world champion away from Red Bull.  Verstappen's is currently on a £40million-a-year deal with Red Bull, with the Dutchman tied to the team until 2028. There has been speculation over his future after Christian Horner was accused of sexual harassment and controlling behaviour by a female employee. The Red Bull team principal, who has always denied the allegations, was later cleared in an internal inquiry.

HENRY CLARK IN SHANGHAI: Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff believes Red Bull's ongoing dominance in the sport will not be the only factor that decides Max Verstappen's future - and hinted that there remains a chance the Dutchman could still consider joining Mercedes, despite their ongoing struggles. Verstappen claimed an emphatic victory at Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix to extend his lead in the championship to 25 points and remains under contract with Red Bull until 2028. There was speculation, though, over his future in the wake of allegations of misconduct against Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. 

Both Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff has said there was 'something to come' from Mercedes after another disappointing outing at the Chinese GP. Hamilton started 18th on the grid after qualifying, and rose to finish ninth in the race, which was won by Red Bull's Max Verstappen.  After the race, he said: 'I'm grateful to get into the points. I didn't expect a lot more this weekend.'

Toto Wolff admitted that the right call was made to U-turn a deleted lap time and give Lando Norris pole position for Saturday's Sprint Race in Shanghai. The McLaren driver conquered the treacherous conditions in China to claim pole for the first Sprint Race of the season, just ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Norris' pole-setting time was initially wiped from the timesheets after he was adjudged to have exceeded track limits, but stewards quickly reversed their decision because the Brit hit some gravel, which slowed him down.

The Silver Arrows chief has a blockbuster decision to make in coming months with Hamilton, who has been with Mercedes since 2013, moving to Ferrari for 2025. Carlos Sainz, the man who he will replace and winner of this season's Australian GP, is an obvious candidate to go the other way and take Hamilton's seat. Max Verstappen would be the top choice in the event he departs Red Bull, while Fernando Alonso ate breakfast with Wolff in February, sparking the rumour mill. Sebastian Vettel's name has also come up as he is an uncontracted four-time world champion.

HENRY CLARK IN SUZUKA: It's the wish that kills you. Lewis Hamilton managed to muster an expression that had the vaguest semblance of a smile after determining that his Mercedes was the best it had been for three years. After practice on Thursday, the 39-year-old was not getting carried away when he made that conclusion. Hamilton made it abundantly clear that he still understood the limitations of his car. Let's not forget that two weeks ago Hamilton said this was a car that "messes with the mind."

When seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton announced that he would leave Ferrari in 2025, Mercedes was met with a complete curveball at the start of this year's Formula One calendar. Since then, rumors have circulated about who Mercedes might bring in to fill such large boots. Despite many people's selection of Lando Norris, Alex Albon, and Carlos Sainz as the front-runners to fill the void left by Sir Lewis Hamilton, many have selected Lando Norris, Alex Albon, and Carlos Sainz as the front-runners to fill the void left by Sir Lewis Hamilton.

Suzuka is home to the fourth race of the Formula One season, and Mercedes chief Toto Wolff will be present, despite planning to miss it. His drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell , will be eager to try and rescue Mercedes' season before it goes completely haywire - and could now be the time to strike? After a brake breakdown, Max Verstappen's nine-race winning streak was ended at the Australian GP, giving Ferrari's Carlos Sainz a chance to claim the top prize.

BEN NAGLE: Exclusive insideroutation: There is one man in Formula One's so-called 'Drive to Survive' that stands out as the sport's face. It's not seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton or rising star Lando Norris with his legions of social media followers. And it's not just Max Verstappen, the Red Bull icon who can't go more than a fortnight without winning a race. Rather, it's Guenther Steiner, the former team principal of the Haas F1 team, whose zealous, vivacious personality made him the surprise star of the immensely popular Netflix docuseries.

HENRY CLARK IN SUZUKA: Sebastian Vettel's replacement Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next season isn't out, according to Toto Wolff, the four-time world champion is'someone you can never forget.' In recent interviews, Vettel walked away from the sport after 15 years in the cockpit, but he has opened the door to a surprise return to the track in 2022. Following Hamilton's surprise departure from Ferrari after Sebastian's surprise departure, the German, 36, said he had been speaking with Wolff, who is looking for a driver to partner George Russell at Mercedes for the 2025 season.

POLE POSITION JONATHAN McEVOY: His former PA is back in the Red Bull fold, which is a twist in the Christian Horner story. Since the fallout that has seen a female employee of his suspended from his job, I am told she is organising her diary. Nicole Carling, who has been contacted by journalists to ask if she wanted to talk about Horner, is acting as a 'internal assistant,' with her email sign-off. It would appear that Horner's denial of allegations would derail rumors that she was going to air complaints about any maltreatment.

Toto Wolff's plans to miss the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend have reportedly been postponed by Mercedes. According to reports last month, the 52-year-old's plans to be absent in Suzuka had been initiated before the season began and were unrelated to the team's results. Wolff would have been able to be on the intercom virtually throughout the Suzuka Circuit's season, with additional responsibilities to be divided among senior members of the Brackley team.

Toto Wolff has provided more insight into who the Silver Arrows are lining up to replace George Russell on the team after the season's end, with Carlos Sainz among those considered. Hamilton will join Ferrari at the end of this season, bringing an end to his 11-year tenure with the team. During that time, he captured six world championships, adding to his first crown victory with McLaren to tie level with Michael Schumacher at the pinnacle of the sport.