Toto Wolff admits he 'wanted to quit' F1 during Lewis Hamilton years

Lewis Hamilton, Toto Wolff, Ferrari, Mercedes, Monza, Italy, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

Toto Wolff admits he 'wanted to quit' F1 during Hamilton years

Toto Wolff previously denied rumours of an F1 exit

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 15 September 2025 03:00

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has admitted that he wanted to retire from F1 a fe years ago, although he decided against it.

His Silver Arrows won a record eight straight constructors championships between 2014 and 2021, with his drivers claiming seven straight individual titles until the infamous Abu Dhabi 2021 incident.

But amid the team's success, there were rumours Wolff had been considering an exit from the sport altogether, though he vehemently denied them.

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In a recent interview however, the Mercedes boss has done a complete U-turn on his previous denial that he was considering retirement, admitting he had been tempted to quit the sport in the past.

"I'm happy with it at the moment. I want to continue. At least until the team starts winning again, I still see myself as the executive team principal," Wolff said, as reported by motorsport-total.com.

Then came the surprise admission: "In 2020, I really wanted to quit."

But it seems Wolff is happy continuing in his position as the longest-serving team principal still working in the paddock despite his initial feelings that he would outgrow F1 with age.

"My original plan was that I didn't want to be playing around with racing cars anymore at 50, because by then you're an adult. But then I came to the conclusion that this is my niche, racing and the economic aspect of it."

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Will Toto Wolff retire from F1 soon?

Though his thoughts of retirement may have been put on the back-burner for now, an exit could be on the cards for Wolff in the near future as the demands of family life grow.

The 53-year-old has two children from a previous relationship and shares his youngest son, Jack Wolff, with wife and F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff.

"The karting thing with my son is getting more and more serious," Wolff admitted, providing the timeline of around ‘two or three years’ as to when he thinks he'll want to get more involved.

"When a child drives a kart or races cars, that's dangerous too. Maybe in a few years' time, the day will come when I want to be there," the Mercedes boss declared.

But for now, his role at the Silver Arrows is certainly secure, with the attraction of a potential Red Bull exit for Max Verstappen likely tempting Wolff to stick around in F1.

Should the Austrian ever fully remove himself from the paddock, he has previously joked that he would never be fully removed from the team, saying: "If I'm not performing well I need to find a replacement for myself and then become chairman and criticise the team from the sun lounger."

Mercedes Formula 1 Toto Wolff