Mercedes refute F1 quit rumours as "a campaign and agenda"

Toto Wolff has further dismissed speculation that Mercedes is considering quitting Formula 1, insisting the sport remains "a core activity" for parent company Daimler.

Rumours have circulated for a period of time that Daimler may pull Mercedes out of F1 as it seeks to offset the financial impact caused by the Covid-19 pandemic that has naturally affected road car sales.

But a defiant Wolff said: "There's always some kind of campaign and agenda going on.

"It's clear that every automotive company faces difficult and insecure times. Every single day you open up a magazine or a newspaper, it's about Volkswagen, Renault, Fiat or Daimler. In that respect, I completely understand the sporting platform is being questioned.

"The top management at Mercedes very much see Formula 1 as a core activity. We build road cars and we build race cars, and actually the first ever car was a race car.

"In that respect, we don't see it simply as a marketing platform that generates valuable marketing dollars, but we see it as a core exercise. There is a technology transfer between the road and Formula 1, and it's not being criticised within Daimler.

"Nevertheless we discuss all our activities and all our investments every single year, and I think we're just a target of somebody that wants to create some headlines and have more clicks."

Wolff has also insisted his relationship with Daimler CEO Ola Källenius is far from on rocky ground, as has also been suggested of late, and that it is as strong as with former CEO Dieter Zetsche.

"Two very different personalities, both of whom I have an excellent working relationship with, and more than that, actually a friendship," countered Wolff.

"Ola and I had quite a laugh when these rumours came up that there was some dysfunctionality in our relationship.

"We are on the phone many times every single week, and he is very involved, [he is] a very good sparring partner for myself that I wouldn't miss, in the same way that Dieter was."

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