Wolff: There is an agenda against Mercedes and me

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes there is an “agenda” against him and his team, as he comments on the speculation linking him with a top job with the FIA running Formula 1.

The Austrian has been mentioned as a potential successor to F1 CEO Chase Carey, alongside the likes of Christian Horner and Alejandro Agag, due to the huge success he has overseen whilst at the helm of the Silver Arrows.

However, he insists he hasn’t applied for any future role, and thinks the stories have potentially been fabricated by someone or a group who wish to destabilise Mercedes.

"I wonder who put my name out there?" Wolff told Motorsport.com.

"Maybe there is an agenda about putting my name out to actually trigger scepticism. But interestingly, none of that is happening and I haven't applied for a job.

"I am in a really happy place at Mercedes. I enjoy my role representing one of the best brands in the world and, having been given the autonomy to run the team in the best interest for Mercedes, as a partner of Mercedes, I really enjoy the relationships within the team, and the relationship with my Daimler friends.

"Fundamentally I am a lap time person. I like the competition. So whatever is being put out there by somebody is not coming from me, and it is not reflecting the situation."

When asked if he could see himself in such a role in the future, he didn’t give a straight answer, simply commenting on the potential of F1 instead.

"The sport is a super exciting property," he added.

"It is one of the big global sports properties and I think we have a real chance to make it the biggest spectacle in the world if we continue to develop what F1 stands for.

"We need to embrace our current audiences and fans, and potential audiences that we haven't tapped yet, plus embrace new technology.

"I hope very much that, as a Mercedes team principal and Mercedes shareholder, we and all the other teams can benefit from the growth of F1."