Toto Wolff never expected to be team boss of Mercedes for 10 years, he says in an interview with The Times. Indeed, it was not initially his intention in 2013, when he joined the German formation, to stay on for more than three seasons.
The Austrian bought part of Williams' Formula 1 team in 2009, becoming executive director three years later. In 2013, he then decided to switch to Mercedes and take the same role at his new team.
"It was clear I am signing a three-year contract," he reflects on that time. "I am team principal and 30 percent shareholder [at the time] and when the project is done, I shall sell the shares back to Mercedes. That was agreed."
However, Mercedes developed and managed to dominate Formula 1 from 2014, when the hybrid era began. "After three years, it was good fun, everyone enjoyed the success, so we rolled it into another three years. But it was still a project."
Wolff satisfied with the choice
Wolff finally came to the conclusion in 2020 that he made the right decision all those years and that his role was therefore a good fit for him. "I came to the conclusion that this is what I like to do. I like the sporting side, and I love the business side."