The Mercedes F1 team has appointed a new non-executive chairman, a position previously held by Niki Lauda who died in May, and a new non-executive director to replace Ola Kallenius, who became chairman of parent company Daimler earlier this year.
Markus Schafer, head of Damiler’s Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, has been nominated as the non-executive chairman after serving as a non-executive director at the team since March 11, 2019, while Frank Markus Weber, Vice President Corporate Development of Daimler AG, has joined as a non-executive director following the departures of Kallenius and Bodo Uebber.
The board is now made up of Schafer; Weber; Britta Seeger, head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales; Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO of MGP; and Wolff’s business partner René Berger, Managing Director of next.march.
“The commitment of our parent company has been fundamental to the team’s success and will continue to be so in the years ahead,” Wolff said. “This support for Formula One has always been reflected in our team’s board, with strong representation from Daimler’s senior leadership, and it continues through the appointments of Markus and Frank Markus for the years ahead.
“Formula One is a powerful technology and marketing platform for Mercedes-Benz globally, and a valuable shop window for the company’s values and its competitiveness.”
Schäfer added: “Mercedes-Benz is a driving force in the transformation to emission-free mobility. To maintain personal mobility, cutting-edge technology is required to push boundaries and redefine standards, and this can only be achieved by focusing on a shared goal and through fantastic team spirit.
“Our learnings from the exciting world of Formula One have brought us valuable and inspiring synergies, and I am looking forward to build upon that close cooperation.”