F1: Wolff Dampens Paddy Lowe Speculation

Formula 1

F1: Wolff Dampens Paddy Lowe Speculation

New Mercedes motor sport boss will not confirm media reports...

Adam Cooper | http://www.speedtv.com | Posted January 22, 2013 Balen (BEL)

Toto Wolff at the Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas November 2012. (Photo: Getty Images)

New Mercedes motor sport boss Toto Wolff has denied speculation that Paddy Lowe might be joining the company’s F1 team.

The German media reported yesterday evening that the McLaren technical director was on his way to join Mercedes.

In a teleconference with British journalists Wolff said: “I think Paddy’s a recognized person in the paddock, he has been with McLaren for 15 or 20 years, and I’ve read it in the paper, that’s all I can tell you. Obviously in F1 there’s always a lot of speculation about personnel or people joining or not joining. There’s nothing I can tell you at that stage. I’ve read it like you have read it.”

Asked if there was any truth in suggestions that he had tried to get Lowe to Williams before the Mercedes opportunity arose, he said: “It’s borderline to argue like this – there is no truth in it.”

He also denied suggestions from BBC TV pundit Eddie Jordan that Ross Brawn could be eased out of the team.

“This is speculation that is coming up in some of the media. I think I would be aware about that – it’s all speculation. Ross is there, he’s part of the leading team, and I hope Ross is going to stay as long as possible. So this is the current situation.”

He also pointed out that he had not yet been to Brackley and had a lot to understand still.

“I need to sit down and understand the structure. It would be foolish to come in and speak about replacing anybody.”

Regarding how his new Mercedes role came about, Wolff confirmed that things have moved fast – and that the approach did not come from Niki Lauda.

“It has happened pretty quickly, actually. I have been involved with Mercedes since many years in DTM, so I have known people and all the company for quite some time. But actually things turned out to progress pretty quickly – so a couple of weeks at the maximum.

“It started because we are joined DTM with a conversation about the situation of Mercedes in F1. It wasn’t Niki.”

Adam Cooper notched up his 28th season as a racing journalist in 2012. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Follow him on Twitter.