For Formula 1 lovers, the first name that comes to mind when "Mercedes" is mentioned will undoubtedly be Lewis Hamilton. But he is not the only person who has a share in success. Toto Wolff should definitely not be ignored. Here is the story of the man behind the success:
Toto Wolff is an Austrian investor and former racing driver. He is best known as the CEO and Team Manager of the 'Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team'. Wolff started his racing career by competing in the Austrian and German 'Formula Ford' championships. Later, he shifted his focus to business and founded his first investment company “Marchfifteen” in 1998. Over the years, Wolff has found a way to combine his passion for auto racing with his job. In 2009, he became a shareholder of the 'Williams Formula 1 Team'. He later became the general manager of the ‘Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team and bought a 30 percent stake. Toto Wolff is the president, CEO and managing partner of the Mercedes AMG F1 team.
Toto was born on January 12, 1972 in Vienna, Austria. His mother, who works as an anesthesiologist, is Polish, and his father is ethnic Romanian. When he was eight years old, his father was diagnosed with brain cancer, and Wolff lost his father in adolescence.
Toto's interest in motorsport started when he watched a 17-year-old friend compete at the Nürburgring. Having a short racing career with the Formula Ford team, Toto won a classification in the 1994 "Nürburgring 24 Hours" race.
Toto, who participated in competitions for only 3 years as a pilot, decided that his main interest was "investment". After studying at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, he established his own investment company Marchfifteen in 1998 and Marchsixteen in 2004. This business, which focused on internet and technology companies of the 90s; He also developed strategic investments in some industrial companies and listed companies. One of these investments included Mercedes-Benz's successful Formula 3 engine program. With that reference, Toto started a new venture in 2002 as co-owner of a racing driver management company, together with 2-time F1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen. He also returned to racing the same year, climbing all the way up to 6th place in the FIA GT World Championship.
In 2009, Toto invested in the Williams, F1 team, combining his passion for racing and investment. In 2012, he played a key role in Williams' first win in eight years at the Spanish GP, where he was the Executive Director. Less than a year later, he bought a 30% stake in Mercedes-Benz GP Limited and became the managing partner of the Mercedes AMG F1 team. Later, Toto, who was appointed as Mercedes-Benz Motor Sports President in 2013, moved from Formula 1 to Formula E; took charge of the entire Mercedes-Benz motorsport program, from sports cars to the Formula 3 motor program.
As an entrepreneur and racer, we can say that being a motorsport investor is in Toto Wolff's blood. Under his leadership, the Mercedes-AMG F1 team has won a total of 92 Grand Prix, and many are sure to be won over the years to come.