Ferrari Would Have Prevented Wolff From Becoming F1’s CEO

Wolff said he is very happy with his role at the Mercedes Formula One team.

On Friday, it was confirmed that ex-Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali will take over from Chase Carey as the CEO and president of Formula One from the start of 2021.

Reports that Domenicali was poised to take on the role surfaced a few days prior, but before that, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was seen as a serious candidate by some in the paddock.

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Just hours after it was confirmed that Domenicali would assume the position, Wolff said he wasn’t interested in becoming the CEO of Formula One, and, in any case, he believes Ferrari wouldn’t have allowed him to take on the role.

“I think everybody knows that there were some initial discussions with Greg [Maffei], and it never went anywhere,” Wolff told Autosport.

“We get on well. I respect Greg Maffei a lot for what he has achieved.

“But I love where I am, and I found out that I love the stopwatch so much, the competition and the racing, that where I am today, co-owner of the team with Mercedes, I have to pinch myself every single day.”

Continuing, Wolff said, “At the end, it wouldn’t have gone anywhere anyway, because Ferrari wouldn’t have accepted that.

“That’s okay, they have this right. I respect it, absolutely. I would probably have had the same thoughts.

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“At the end, maybe a different decision, because you’ve got to have the best guy to run the sport. But I think they have the best guy today. Stefano is just the real deal.”

Others in the paddock, including Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, have also praised Domenicali and expressed their belief that he is the best person for the job.

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