Wolff slams F1 bosses over Ocon exit
Sep.15 - Toto Wolff has lashed out at his fellow F1 team bosses for getting in the way of young drivers' futures.
The Mercedes chief is astonished that other bosses have not supported his quest to find seats in 2019 for the likes of Esteban Ocon, George Russell and Pascal Wehrlein.
Wehrlein, for instance, has now left Mercedes' driver programme altogether.
"We could not offer Pascal a competitive car for next year. Acting in his interests, we have together decided not to renew the contract," Wolff said.
But he says it was the goings-on in F1 negotiations in July and August that left him particularly aghast.
"It was just unbelievable. There was so much politics in the background, hidden agendas and lies," said Wolff.
He said talented Frenchman "Ocon" will probably leave F1 at the end of the year "because people simply don't have the balls to stick to what they say".
"If some guys feel this way, compromising their performance and not taking the best drivers, it is their problem but eventually talent will shine through."
Wolff vowed: "One day he will win races and championships in a Mercedes."
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In F1, after the teams were setup, and the obligation and limit of 2 cars per team were agreed, for the small teams we would have maybe 2 "paid drivers", and for the bigger guns sometimes 1"paid driver". Now... If Mercedes, with its $$$ and use of its PU cannot find a place for a driver like Ocon, imagine for a young driver trying to break in the F1 "market"? Have to be really good, and/or have a lot of $$$, and of carries a strong name even better.
"....Wolff vowed: "One day he will win races and championships in a Mercedes."...."
I certainly hope so!