Wolff accuses Jordan of spreading 'fake news'

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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is still angry with Eddie Jordan over a series of what he calls 'fake news' reports about the team's futures.

Jordan - a former Formula 1 team boss turned media pundit for Channel 4's UK television coverage of the sport - suggested last week that Mercedes might pull the plug on F1 at the end of next year.

Jordan reported that the team's major sponsors Petronas and UBS are considering ending their backing. He also speculated that a Chinese-based consortium could buy the existing Mercedes works team at the end of 2018.

"Mercedes have won everything and can only get worse from now," Jordan said last week. "I think they will go for the titles this and next year. And then the board of directors in Stuttgart will decide to sell the team."

Wolff has denied the stories, and lashed out at Jordan for what he feels are groundless and irresponsible stories.

"I’m ready for any banter with Eddie,” said Wolff.

“But for me I stop laughing when it’s about making jokes on the back of 1500 employees that care about their future," he added.

"This is a too serious a topic for me.

"We are not leaving Formula 1, none of our sponsors is leaving Formula 1, we are pretty happy where we are," he insisted.

Jordan: 'Mercedes will pull the plug after 2018!'

"He should just stop putting these rumours - fake news - out in the world," added Wolff.

Mercedes is currently contracted to participate in Formula 1 through to the end of 2020. Wolff said that any talks with the sport's new owners Liberty are over extending that commitment, not shortening it.

Jordan says that even if the company stops participating in Formula 1 as a works team, it will likely continue to supply engines to other teams on the grid.

"It's better to go back to their old core business in Formula 1," Jordan said in Baku. "Developing and delivering high tech engines."

As well as the winning the last three constructors championships, Mercedes also supply Force India and Williams with power units.

It's expected that McLaren will join that list in 2018 if they part ways with Honda.

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.