23/08/2021
NEWS STORY
Having previously said that he expected to announce Mercedes 2022 line-up after the summer break, Toto Wolff has now said that it could be September before he makes the call.
Currently, the German team has two options, stick with Valtteri Bottas - Lewis Hamilton's preferred option - for a sixth season, or bring in some fresh blood in the form of George Russell.
Hamilton's preferences aside, the team appears to have a clear cut choice, but, according to Wolff the decision is not as clear cut as it might appear.
"We have to choose between the stability of Valtteri and the talent of George, where the future lies," he told Bild at the weekend.
"I want the topic settled in September so both of them can position themselves properly for the coming season," he added.
The Austrian has made clear that whatever his decision, the driver who loses out on the Mercedes seat will still have "attractive" options.
"George and Valtteri would have - whatever we decide - great options," he insisted. "They would have probably more than one option to stay in F1, and race in F1 with an attractive outlook.
"Most teams see themselves as challenger teams," he added. "They expect a big step to be done next year because of the cost cap that is now valid for everybody."
Other than Bottas and Russell, in winning the Formula E championship for Mercedes, Nyck de Vries has thrown his cap in the ring.
This weekend sees the F1 title fight resume, and Wolff is under no illusions that it will be a hard fought battle right up until the end of the season.
"Red Bull are a bit faster on paper," he admits, "but we will fight until the end. We have to,," he adds, "because this championship will go until the end."
Asked about his own future, Wolff, who had previously been linked with the F1 CEO role subsequently given to Stefano Domenicali, admitted: "I thought for a year about going back to the financial world. But we decided together at Mercedes that F1 is not just a marketing platform that we want to use for a short time, we want to shape an era.
"Since I own 33% of the team shares, I will definitely be there. But that doesn't necessarily mean I have to be team boss."