Rumors Wolf will leave Mercedes and join Stroll | FerrariChat

Rumors Wolf will leave Mercedes and join Stroll

Discussion in 'F1' started by Sig. Roma, Mar 31, 2020.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 3, 2006
    25,446
    "Mercedes should ‘sell the team at the end of 2020’

    http://www.gptoday.com/full_story/view/714317/Mercedes_should_8216sell_the_team_at_the_end_of_20208217/

    Mercedes should walk away from Formula 1 at the end of this season, or at least sell their works team, as with six titles in a row they have “nothing” to prove."

    Who says that? Bernie Ecclestone.

    But his reasoning makes sense.

    From 2022, F1 will become a "bean counters championship" where teams will have to operate with a budget cap.
    Mercedes will lose the financial advantage it has compared to the other teams (apart from Ferrari).
    Less budget means less R&D, less technical resources, less innovation, and Mercedes would become like all the other teams.
    The combined effect of the "Coronavirus 2020 season", plus the oncoming new rules in 2022 may have made up their mind.
     
  2. A348W

    A348W Formula 3

    Jun 28, 2017
    1,741
    North Wiltshire, UK
    From one perspective it does make sense; when you are on top there is only one way...down

    But sell to Stroll, how humiliating; and Toto working for him...might as well go sell Hilfiger jeans in the outlet store! I’m sure/hope Toto has more self respect than that!
     
  3. Sig. Roma

    Sig. Roma Formula 3
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Mar 11, 2007
    1,061
    Bella Italia
    Full Name:
    Dom T.
    I gathered he'd be the top dog at Aston Martin, so its a step up (I assume the whole corporation and not just the F1 team).
     
    william likes this.
  4. Igor Ound

    Igor Ound F1 Veteran

    Sep 30, 2012
    8,102
    The Horn
    Full Name:
    Igor Ound
    Tactical rumours to negotiate a larger slice of the mercedes pie
     
    NeuroBeaker and Ferraripilot like this.
  5. DF1

    DF1 Two Time F1 World Champ

    Im not seeing him or hearing him go anywhere at all. That is not a step anywhere and not up in real terms.
     
    tfazio likes this.
  6. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 3, 2006
    25,446

    What is mooted is that if Toto Wolff left his present position of principal at Mercedes-AMG F1 team, he could be made CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd, the car company. Lawrence Stroll would move to be chairman of the company.
    I have no idea if the renamed Racing Point F1 team would come under his jurisdiction.
     
  7. Sig. Roma

    Sig. Roma Formula 3
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Mar 11, 2007
    1,061
    Bella Italia
    Full Name:
    Dom T.
    My guess is Toto is getting a bit tired of traveling around the world, and most likely never sees his wife with her racing responsibilities.
     
    ago car nut likes this.
  8. ago car nut

    ago car nut F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Aug 29, 2008
    5,246
    Madison Ohio
    Full Name:
    David A.
    The constant traveling is one of the problems with F1 that people have enough of.
     
  9. Sig. Roma

    Sig. Roma Formula 3
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Mar 11, 2007
    1,061
    Bella Italia
    Full Name:
    Dom T.
    But if there is any truth to Mercedes getting out (and don't forget, they are getting rid of 10,000 managers to improve profitability) of F1, then this is an option if none others are available in the company.
     
  10. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 3, 2006
    25,446

    Every so often, large companies operate some culling among their staff.
    It's normal practise, but also in the case of a new CEO: "New brum sweeps clean", they say !
    Mercedes, like other car makers is facing pressure from all sides: reduced sales, the environmental lobby, stricter emission rules, etc ...
    Covid-19 preventing the 2020 season could present itself as a good opportunity to stop their F1 involvement very soon and satisfy some shareholders.
     
  11. SimCity3

    SimCity3 F1 Rookie

    Aston Martin will be be buying Mercedes F1 engines from Brackley so Wolf would retain a tidy sideline if he does move to AM and retains equity in Brackley.

    This is possibly sideways pressure from MB who have no more need in having an F1 team marketing its road cars in a diminishing market
     
  12. Bas

    Bas Four Time F1 World Champ

    Mar 24, 2008
    41,299
    ESP
    Full Name:
    Bas
    I don't think she has any responsibilities, or ever had them in the first place (unless we're saying driving around at the very back of the grid is a responsibility of some sort).

    Bernie isn't wrong. The Benchmark has been set and there's nothing left to prove for mercedes...all they'll do now at some point is lose their titles and leave anyways as the bean counters will object even more.

    What more perfect time to wave goodbye to F1 than now?
     
    stavura and SimCity3 like this.
  13. johnireland

    johnireland F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Mar 19, 2017
    7,759
    Los Angeles, CA
    Full Name:
    John A Ireland
    Does anyone actually know what Wolff wants to do? Right now (in the next two months) Mercedes could sell the team to Stroll, with Wolff included in the deal (with an enormous payday for Wolff) and exit F1 as a team with all their goals accomplished. The two teams would be combined, Aston Martin makes exclusive use of Mercedes engines and the Team becomes Aston Martin with engines by Mercedes. Wolff moves on after the season and becomes head of road car division at Mercedes...for another big pay day, and then on to CEO. There really isn't any reason for Wolff to stay in F1..except for a giant payday.
     
  14. SimCity3

    SimCity3 F1 Rookie

    Mercedes should also be grateful of a very mild FIA during their 7 year cruise.

    When Ferrari and Michael were 4 years into domination the FIA rapidly switched tyre regs to destroy any repeat success. It worked.

    No such interference for Mercedes.
     
  15. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 28, 2005
    11,880
    This is pure speculation there is nothing to indicate that Mercedes is going to sell the team to Stroll or anyone else. Mercedes F1 is a massive organization with 1500 employees. If they decide to leave F1 who would be in a position to buy it and for how much? It wouldn't it be a $1 deal like Honda to Brawn, corporate would just shut it down and liquidate the assets. Stroll is going to lose his shirt with Aston Martin, I can't see them surviving in this environment.
     
    Flavio_C likes this.
  16. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 3, 2006
    25,446

    In the event of Mercedes' departure from F1, I doubt if it would be as precipitated as Honda last time.
    They would probably give notice, reduce their staff to bare minimum, and try to sell the team as a going concern or just the F1 license.
    When Honda and Renault previously left, they sold their instalations, but Toyota didn't, it just converted them for endurance, rally, etc ...
    There would be still a question mark about their participation as engine supplier. They may also wish to terminate that.

    Aston Martin will be in the same boat with other luxury carmakers; this will be make-or-break depending from the economic situation in months to come.
    Most things will never be the same after Covid-19 anyway.
     
  17. A348W

    A348W Formula 3

    Jun 28, 2017
    1,741
    North Wiltshire, UK
    couldn’t agree more!

    As much as I like Astons (I almost bought one) I can’t see this ending well, nor the F1 side either.

    next to yachts; I can’t see a bigger money pit anywhere!

    still; be good fun watching him throw his money away and his brat loose his seat. They will just join the long list of previous team owners that never really made it!
     
  18. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 3, 2006
    25,446

    Well, Lawrence Stroll isn't the only one to put money in Aston Martin; he is leading a group of investors.
    So it's not only a father's whim to push his son. I think shrewd businessmen do their homework before they made decisions.
    Stroll may look like an idiot, but I cannot believe his partners are all the same.
    The Cayenne saved Porsche, and the DBX could do the same for Aston: there are 2000 units on the order book, we are told.
    Time will tell.
     
    A348W likes this.
  19. SimCity3

    SimCity3 F1 Rookie

    Do you believe that self-made Billionaire's are idiots ?
     
    Nembo1777 and Bas like this.
  20. Igor Ound

    Igor Ound F1 Veteran

    Sep 30, 2012
    8,102
    The Horn
    Full Name:
    Igor Ound
    What worst can happen? Aston Martin handbags has a ring to it

    And if Mercedes leaves F1 Aston will still have one more year left ;)
     
  21. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    Private jets.
     
    A348W likes this.
  22. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
    Honorary

    Mar 2, 2005
    22,737
    Piloting vintage aircraft (think P51s Mustangs and Spitfires and the like) and their maintenance is even more expensive. If you really really really wanna seriously burn money.

    Marcel Massini
     
    SimCity3, stavura, Bas and 1 other person like this.
  23. Bas

    Bas Four Time F1 World Champ

    Mar 24, 2008
    41,299
    ESP
    Full Name:
    Bas
    Fully agree.
    One thing buying an F1 team that more or less breaks even YoY for your son.

    Whole 'nother buying a factory F1 team with the biggest work force an F1 team has ever had by a huge margin, that costs hundreds of millions a year to run. No chance Mercedes would keep funding HPP to the level they do, if at all. I'm leaning towards the latter.

    Stroll loves his son but even he has to see that he's talentless in the field of F1 drivers and that buying the Mercedes team, installing his son and pretty much any other driver will simply only mean he's bought another driver the title. Tough pill to swallow.

    No. continue playing with Force India and when bored, go play in LMP2
     
    375+ likes this.
  24. Bas

    Bas Four Time F1 World Champ

    Mar 24, 2008
    41,299
    ESP
    Full Name:
    Bas
    they'll need 20 thousand orders on the DBX to even offer the slightest glimmer of hope.
     
    Flavio_C and 375+ like this.

Share This Page