Mercedes will commit to staying in Formula 1 for a “long time” in the coming months, Italian media is saying.
Speculation has been swirling about the German manufacturer’s future on the grid, particularly after team boss Toto Wolff suggested there was “nothing more to prove” following a sixth straight double championship success.
Indeed, a report just last weekend linked the Austrian and Racing Point boss Lawrence Stroll to a takeover and a rebrand to Aston Martin, a company Stroll is poised to buy a 20 per cent stake in.
This also comes as parent company Daimler is shifting focus to electric vehicles with Mercedes joining the Formula E grid for Season 6 and already showing signs of being competitive.
But now Motorsport Italy claims the bosses are happy to continue investing into the F1 team, with the amount set to decrease due to prize money, sponsors and the introduction of a $175m budget cap from 2021.
“In addition, the combination of hybrid series production and the current technical base of Formula 1 is perfect for marketing,” they added.
At the same time, Wolff himself is also set to re-sign in addition to a new two-year deal for Lewis Hamilton, as rumoured by La Gazzetta dello Sport last week.
The publication does note, however, it could still be a few months until Mercedes sign the new Concorde Agreement and a drop in results this season might still lead Daimler to reconsider the fate of the works team.
But with McLaren, Racing Point and Williams all being powered by the Silver Arrow in 2021 and beyond, a full withdrawal won’t come anytime soon.
