Norbert Haug's successor is... Toto Wolff

[AndyL]

I did not see that coming!
Blow for Williams as Toto Wolff is confirmed as Mercedes motorsport bossJames Allen on F1

What will Williams do now? Apparently Wolff will retain a 15% shareholding in Williams, but FW needs to find another heir to the crown now.

Presumably Toto's wife will remain as a Williams test driver since she got that position entirely on merit

[AndyL]

I did not see that coming!
Blow for Williams as Toto Wolff is confirmed as Mercedes motorsport bossJames Allen on F1

What will Williams do now? Apparently Wolff will retain a 15% shareholding in Williams, but FW needs to find another heir to the crown now.

Presumably Toto's wife will remain as a Williams test driver since she got that position entirely on merit

[Tazio]

Not a comment on the wisdom of the move, but this seems like a bit of a conflict of interest. Should we be expecting to see Mercedes engines at Williams by 2014?

[driveace]

AND if Williams are to get Mercedes engines next year,are McLaren about to lose Mercedes engines next year,AND did Lewis know that ?

[AndyL]

I said on another thread that rumours are gathering momentum that Paddy Lowe is also about to announce he has joined Mercedes. I would be over the moon if true being a Hamilton fan but appreciate its a massive blow for McLaren.

I'm starting to wonder about the Generals:Foot-soldiers ratio at Mercedes. They're starting to look like the Royal Navy.

[AndyL]

Well they certainly are top heavy at the moment but there is talk Brawn and Fry may be moving on to pastures new at some point in the near future. Rumour of course. They earned a pretty penny out of the Brawn GP sale but its no secret Mercedes are unhappy with the progress of the team. Taking Michael back was a mistake in hindsight and I would imagine Ross took a lot of the flack for that. Taking on personel like Bob Bell, Geoff Willis, Aldo Costa, Mike Elliot, and Paddy Lowe might seem like overkill on the design side, but its a strong choice to pick from and many are expecting big things from Merc in 2014.

Fry going is no surprise I guess, given that fans have been expecting him to get the sack for most of his career But Brawn being pushed out is a bit more unexpected. I'm not sure getting rid of the guy with 8 constructors' championships behind him is going to solve their problems.

[wedge]

Fry going is no surprise I guess, given that fans have been expecting him to get the sack for most of his career But Brawn being pushed out is a bit more unexpected. I'm not sure getting rid of the guy with 8 constructors' championships behind him is going to solve their problems.

Whereas Paddy Lowe & McLaren have been WDC contenders in recent years.

Perhaps this is a bit like football management where a new manager wants to bring in their own team and Mercedes didn't see Brawn having a long term reign?

[driveace]

I was surprised the Fry was still in a job at Mercedes,as I would have given him his P45 ages ago,I always thought he was a man with a thousand excuses.As for Ross,I always thought he knew what he was doing even from his days at Ferrari,but he always came across as dull ,and never seemed to be telling the true story.I saw him do an interview at a Motorsport Show at Birmingham a few years ago,and liked the Liverpool man,but still thought of him as dull !

[Wasted Talent]

BBC are reporting Mercedes want Ross Brawn out...

BBC Sport - Formula 1: Ross Brawn role at Mercedes under threat

WT

[CNR]

Wolff, Lauda to take Mercedes F1 stake | F1 News | Jan 2013 | Crash.Net

Toto Wolff's move from Williams to Mercedes will see the Austrian take a financial stake in the Brackley-based team as well as inheriting the role of executive director