Toto Wolff, the new strongman of Mercedes-Benz

The two officializations took place in quick succession. Toto wolff, executive director of Williams since last year and holder of nearly 16% of the shares in the team leaves Grove's training. The man was recruited at Mercedes-Benz where he was entrusted with the executive management of Mercedes GP in F1. The Austrian investor also inherits part of the responsibilities held for 22 years by Nortbert Haug, who decided to bow out last December, after the poor results garnered by the silver arrows in Formula 1 since their return in 2010.

“Wolff will acquire a minority but significant stake in Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix and lead the company as executive director”, announced Daimler in a press release. “As an entrepreneur, investor and manager in motorsport, Toto Wolff has proven that the sport is in his blood,” explains Dr Dieter Zetsche, the big boss of Mercedes-Benz. “At the same time, he knows perfectly the economic needs in this business. With him, we have gained for our Formula 1 team not only an experienced motorsport specialist, but also a long-time enthusiast of the Mercedes-Benz brand.”

The blow is rather hard for Williams, who loses a key element here even if the Austrian retains for the moment the 16% share he holds in the team. Shortly before Mercedes' press release, Sir Frank Williams confirmed the departure of Toto Wolff. “I would like to thank Toto for his hard work, dedication and commitment to the team as Executive Director. He was a key support in many races where I could not travel,” explains the historic director of the brand. “However, a proposal like the one offered by Mercedes does not come along often. Toto has a long history with them and I certainly wasn't going to object to him accepting this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. » If the investor keeps his shares, next year he will indeed be an opponent for the British team. “If he will always have a place at Grove, make no mistake, we will fight him hard on the track! » he warns. In the meantime, Frank Williams, as majority shareholder of his team, remains its main director. The responsibilities held by Toto Wolff will be reallocated to other members of the executive office.