Toto Wolff has insisted that his own future in Formula 1 will not be affected by Lewis Hamilton's stunning decision to leave Mercedes.
The Austrian has been with the team for the same amount of time as Hamilton - since 2013 - and owns a significant portion of the endeavor.
Having gone two years without any championship success, and now seeing his star driver leave to join arch-rivals Ferrari, it would be easy for Wolff to jump ship himself too.
But that is something he insists he is not doing, and a future decision that remained unchallenged by Hamilton’s abrupt departure.
Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton have worked with each other for 11 yearsLewis Hamilton departs the team having achieved 13 combined championships together
Wolff: It was a no-brainer to continue
Speaking to Crash.Net about what he plans to do with his future, Wolff confirmed that Hamilton’s move has no influence on what he will do in the future, and that he shares pride for what Mercedes have built.
“No, it wouldn’t have changed that,” he said. “I think whatever role in the team, or whatever title they give it, I’m going to be there in the future.
“So it was a no-brainer to continue in an executive role, you can call it CEO, managing director, chairman, or team principal.
“It wouldn’t have affected me, because I’m so proud of being part of this Mercedes Formula 1 team, that carries this huge legacy of the star and racing history, and we’re going to write more history in the future, as the Mercedes Formula 1 team,” he continued.
“And that is what I aim to do with everyone in the team, and with everybody in Stuttgart. Therefore, as much as this journey is so special, we have 10 or 20 more years before I’m being overrun by a bus to have more success.”
For now, it appears that the second longest serving team principal is here to stay, as Mercedes gears itself up for a new era without its star driver.
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