Minardi: 'There's a rumor that Mercedes is putting it up for sale'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
The F1 world is buzzing with rumours about Mercedes. Not only what the driver duo will look like next year, but also whether there will still be a Mercedes after 2021 is doubtful. Former F1 boss Giancarlo Minardi supports that latest news with more rumours. Mercedes will most likely only continue as an engine supplier.
Will Lewis Hamilton stay with the champion team or will Sebastian Vettel take his place? Will Toto Wolff, the team chief who brought the team to seven titles, go to Aston Martin? It is anything but clear what is happening inside and around the Mercedes walls.
Minardi notes on his own website that there is a good chance that the plug is pulled from the Mercedes AMG F1 project after 2021: "There is a rumor that Mercedes is ready for that move and that the German race stable will only continue as an engine supplier in Formula 1".
Mercedes no longer profitable
It is hard to imagine but Daimler Group, the parent company of Mercedes, has already indicated that the Mercedes F1 project is no longer so profitable. In addition, as a marketing tool it has also lost a lot of strength. Ola Kallenius, the CEO of Mercedes-Benz Cars has more to say about it than Wolff does.
Minardi explains: "The new Mercedes-CEO seems to have a lot of influence on the project. We already saw that in Melbourne, for example. Wolff wanted to race, but Kallenius decided differently". After 2021 the team will then be offered for sale. According to the former team boss, selling a team like Mercedes isn't necessarily a big problem.
"It's about a winning team, with a very strong internal structure. It won't be difficult to find a buyer."