Williams Wolff says F1 driver manager role will end

Toto Wolff & Valtteri Bottas

Toto Wolff, a shareholder and director of the Williams team, doubts he will continue his role of driver manager.

That is despite the Austrian’s latest charge, Valtteri Bottas, having successfully risen through the ranks to make his formula one debut in 2013.

But Wolff told Switzerland’s Motorsport Aktuell that 22-year-old Finn Bottas is more an exception than the rule.

Rather, “If you now need 100,000 for a national karting season, and 250,000 euros for international, then eventually the level (of the drivers) will drop.”

But Wolff said he hopes drivers with little money but big talent will still be able to rise through the ranks in future.

A current example, he said, is Bottas.

“He never had much money, but he always had support, just because he was good,” Wolff insisted.

But actually, he said managing motor racing drivers is a “thankless job”.

“If the target fails,” said Wolff, “everything’s the fault of the manager. If everything goes smoothly, you never know what happens — some drivers are champions of short memory.”

He said he has no plans to repeat the Bottas project with another young talent.

“If you have to put two million on the table for GP2, then driver management makes little sense,” said Wolff.

Share this F1 article and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest News updates

Tweet