Mercedes boss Wolff denies links to Aston Martin F1 project 

Toto Wolff has denied suggestions he is considering leaving his current position at Mercedes to head up Aston Martin’s Formula 1 return in 2021.

The Mercedes F1 team boss is out of contract at the end of the year along with star driver Lewis Hamilton. While both are expected to remain at Mercedes, the Austrian’s future has the subject of much talk in recent months. 

Wolff’s close ties and friendship with Canadian businessman and Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll has resulted in speculation linking him with a possible leadership role at Aston Martin when it returns to F1 as a fully-fledged works outfit in 2021. 

The luxury British sportscar maker has been struggling financially of late and has been hit hard by the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 crisis. 

It received a much-needed boost earlier this week thanks to major new investment from the Stroll-led consortium, with Racing Point confirming on Wednesday that its rebrand to Aston Martin works status will go ahead as planned next year. 

Wolff has moved to quash the rumours by firmly dismissing he is about to walk away from the title-winning Mercedes side and insisted a move to Aston Martin was “definitely out of the question”. 

“There is no truth to the rumours that I'm going to be CEO of Aston Martin,” Wolff is quoted as saying by Austrian broadcaster ORF. “I'm in a partnership with Daimler in the F1 team and that's my priority.

“An investment consortium led by Lawrence Stroll has taken over a share (Aston Martin). This is a financial investment. But an operational role on my part at Aston Martin is definitely out of the question.

“I am with Mercedes in our eighth year now and I really enjoy working with the people there. At the same time, I discuss our future with Ola Källenius, our joint venture and how we want to continue together.

“The platform is working very well for Mercedes as a brand and therefore everything points to us working together for the next few years.”

Wolff is understood to have been absent from a crucial recent team meeting involving all 10 participating outfits in which key issues over the future of the championship were discussed amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Racing Point CEO and team principal Otmar Szafnauer was questioned if there was any truth to the speculation when he appeared as a guest on Sky Sports’ new Vodcast series.

"It's not really for me to say, that's a better question for Toto, but if you're asking me to guess, Toto this year and next year will be running Mercedes Grand Prix and trying to make history by winning another world championship," Szafnauer said. 

"In all but one of the team principals' meetings, he's participated. He'll be on the next one, so I don't see him doing anything other than that."