Wolff jokes: 'The only way to get me to step down'

While Susie Wolff was rumoured to run for presidency at the FIA, her husband, Toto Wolff, once again put these news to bed with a joke. The team principal and CEO also talked about F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali's contract extension.

'Only way I step down'

If Susie Wolff would end up becoming the FIA President one day, that would lead to a potential conflict of interest with Toto Wolff's role at Mercedes. Therefore, Wolff was asked about whether he would need to step down from his position if that happens at some point. "That's the only way to achieve that," the Austrian smiled when asked by Motorsport-Total.com.

"No, that was never an issue with Susie. We're an entrepreneurial family," Toto Wolff continued. He then underlined that his wife currently focuses on F1 Academy. "She isn't ready for an ambassadorial or representative role, as honorable as it is to be FIA ​​President. But no, she won't."

On Domenicali's contract extension

The Mercedes team principal is also happy that Stefano Domenicali will remain the CEO of F1, after he signed a contract extension until 2029. "He's a good guy, he has the right values, he has good business sense. He's brilliant at dealing with the promoters, and he's not fooled. And the fact that he's staying with us for the next five years is really good news. The sport needs stability, the sport needs direction, and he's providing that."

With Spa-Francorchamps becoming a rotating event from 2027 onwards that only appears in every second season, many worry about historical tracks disappearing from the calendar. Wolff underlined that Domenicali, they are in 'good hands', given that he also lives in Monza near the track. The Austrian aims to achieve the right balance in this question, and believes the Italian is equipped to deal with that.

"With Stefano, we have someone who understands the heritage of the sport very well and knows that we need to go to these places to popularize Formula 1 in other regions of the world. The trick is to find the right balance. You have to keep the traditional, spectacular races and add new ones, and that mix is ​​important. And Stefano is clearly the best judge of that," he concluded.

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