Wolff reveals he offered Mercedes his resignation several times as Källenius refused to let him go

Toto Wolff offered his resignation to Mercedes-Benz Group CEO Ola Källenius on multiple occasions during the team’s prolonged struggles in the ground-effect era, only to be turned down each time. The Mercedes team principal made the disclosure at the 2026 Golden Steering Wheel awards in Berlin, lifting the lid on the internal dynamics at the manufacturer during one of its most difficult stretches in Formula 1.

“I’ve offered Ola my resignation several times over the past few years, but he’s always said: ‘You’ll keep doing this,’” Wolff told the audience in Berlin.

The admission underlines the unusual nature of Wolff’s position within the team. Unlike a conventional team principal who operates purely as an employee, Wolff holds a shareholder stake in the Mercedes F1 operation. Despite that ownership interest, he has consistently said he would step aside if he believed another leader could do the job more effectively. Källenius, however, used his corporate authority to keep Wolff in place through the team’s lowest points rather than sanction a change at the top.

The immediate pressure to walk away has since eased. Mercedes secured the 2026 constructors’ championship in Brazil, a result that signals a meaningful recovery from the slump that prompted Wolff’s resignation offers in the first place. When reporters in Berlin asked whether he intends to remain in his role, Wolff deflected with a dry reference to his boss’s position.

“Yes. Ola is forcing me to,” he said.

The remarks are consistent with comments Wolff made earlier this month, when he stated plainly: “I don’t plan to call it a day.” He has acknowledged that he is actively identifying potential successors who could eventually take over the day-to-day management of the team, but for now the Austrian remains firmly on the pitwall as Mercedes looks to build on its championship-winning momentum heading into the new season.