Toto Wolff has hit out at F1 media personality Eddie Jordan for perpetuating a rumour about Mercedes’ future in the sport.
The German team recently rejected former team boss Jordan’s claim that Mercedes will pull out of formula one after next year.
But now, Jordan has doubled down in Baku, saying not only that Mercedes is finding a buyer to take over the team’s contractual obligations through 2020, but that sponsors UBS and Petronas will leave at the end of the season.
Jordan, 69, often makes wild predictions about the future in F1, but Mercedes chief Wolff said in Baku that he is no longer laughing.
"I’m ready for any banter with Eddie," he said, "but I stop laughing when it comes to 1500 employees who are worried about their future.
"I told him that this is very serious for me," Wolff added. "We are not leaving F1, none of our sponsors are leaving F1, and we are very happy where we are.
"He should stop reporting these rumours, this fake news."