Toto Wolff said that Mercedes has an option to support the German GP in '20.GETTY IMAGES
Mercedes Formula 1 Team Principal Toto Wolff admitted that a pitch from F1 CEO Chase Carey and Managing Dir, Commercial Operations Sean Bratches "convinced the Stuttgart manufacturer to support the 2019 German Grand Prix," according to Adam Cooper of MOTORSPORT. Mercedes was announced as the title sponsor of next year's Hockenheim race when the '19 calendar was revealed after the German venue concluded a one-year extension with Liberty. Wolff "has always maintained that Mercedes would not get involved in promoting or supporting its home race." However, he insisted that "circumstances have changed," and that his bosses were convinced by Carey and Bratches that "their input would make a difference." Wolff said, "In Hockenheim on Sunday morning, some of our board members were there and Chase and Sean pitched it very well. ... When they left, we gave it some consideration, and had some negotiations over the shutdown. And then I pitched it back to the board and the board decided, 'We do it, we want to keep the German GP.'" Wolff confirmed that Mercedes will see how the '19 event goes "before deciding on a longer-term involvement with the race" (MOTORSPORT, 9/9).