Toto Wolff issues Mercedes status update after new deputy team boss appointed
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has vowed that his “role and overall responsibilities will not change one millimetre” following the appointment of a new deputy team principal.
Mercedes announced on Friday that long-serving communications chief Bradley Lord has been formally appointed to the role of deputy team principal.
Toto Wolff: Mercedes responsibilities will not change
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust
It comes following a stint as Mercedes’ official team representative, which saw Lord adopt some of Wolff’s responsibilities – including media interviews – when the latter was not present on F1 race weekends.
Lord will assume his new role with immediate effect with next weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix set to be his first race as deputy team boss.
In a statement issued to PlanetF1.com by Mercedes on Friday, Wolff has insisted that Lord’s new role will have no effect on his own position or responsibilities going forward.
Go deeper: PlanetF1.com meets new Mercedes deputy team boss Bradley Lord
Who is Bradley Lord? Meet Toto Wolff’s trusted Mercedes lieutenant
‘We’ll go through fire’ – Inside Mercedes’ team culture with Toto Wolff’s ‘left-hand man’
He said: “With the growth of our team and F1, the scope of our operations and associated responsibilities at a senior level has grown significantly.
“We have therefore taken this opportunity to put in place a change that has effectively been operating in practice for some time.
While my role and overall responsibilities will not change one millimetre, Bradley’s work as Deputy Team Principal will further enhance the capability of our leadership group and provide continued support for me as our Team Principal and CEO.”
Wolff sold a 15 per cent of his stake in the Mercedes F1 team to American billionaire George Kurtz last November, with Kurtz – the founder of cybersecurity firm and team sponsor Crowdstrike – appointed a technology adviser in the process.
More recently, Wolff was named as a rival bidder to former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner for Otro Capital’s stake in the Alpine F1 team.
However, Alpine executive adviser Flavio Briatore claimed at last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix that Alpine’s negotiations are with Mercedes and not Wolff himself.
An Alpine spokesperson told PlanetF1.com: “The team is regularly approached and contacted by multiple parties and potential investors.
“We do not comment on any specific names or individuals in question. Any discussions are not a matter for the team; they’re between the current stakeholders and parties expressing an interest.
“The primary focus for the team is the immediate task at hand, which is the start of the racing season and seeing a sustained recovery of performance on track.”
A spokesperson for Mercedes added: “Mercedes is a key strategic partner of Alpine, and we are being kept apprised of the latest developments.”
Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.
You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!
Read next: Who is Jonathan Wheatley? Adrian Newey’s primary Aston Martin target
