Toto Wolff to keep Williams link for the moment

Toto Wolff & Valtteri Bottas

As Toto Wolff gets down to work at Mercedes, the situation at Williams remains unclear.

When the Austrian’s team switch was announced, Williams made clear that Wolff “will retain his shareholding”.

It is believed the 41-year-old’s Williams stake is worth up to EUR 40 million.

Sources have said Wolff owning shares in competing F1 teams – he has bought 30 per cent of Brackley based Mercedes – is legitimate, but it remains to be seen if the situation will change.

“For the moment I’m going to keep those (Williams) shares,” he said on Tuesday.

“I have a responsibility as a shareholder. I can’t let everybody else down. I’m going to look at the situation in the next couple of weeks or months.

“I am working 100 per cent for Mercedes, as a director of Mercedes and trying to be successful with Mercedes.

“But I’ve had a long interest in Williams and you can’t kill an emotion just by resigning from a directorship.”

It is rumoured there could be a silver lining for Williams, with suggestions Wolff’s new Mercedes link could deliver a change of customer engine supplier for the currently Renault-powered Grove team.

“No discussions have been held,” Wolff said.

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