Mercedes F1 strengthens for the future with strategic organizational change

Paul Ripke and Toto Wolff

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport today announced a strategic appointment as part of the team's long-term plan for continuous performance growth both on and off the track.

With immediate effect, the team has nominated Paul Ripke (38) as Special Advisor – a newly created position that will report directly to Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO.

Paul has worked with the team for three years as an audio-visual producer and strategist, focusing on developing the long-term content capabilities of the teams. His new role will see him blur the lines between engineering support, talent management and strategy input while also taking full control of the team's communications channels.

"We are delighted to announce Paul as our new Special Advisor," said Toto Wolff. "When Paul first started attending our engineering meetings, he came to capture content. However, he quickly earned his seat at the table with his open-minded and left-field approach. However, what impressed us the most are his humility and modesty which are second to none – as he pointed out himself. We are delighted that he has accepted our offer to join the team on a permanent basis."

"This is an absolute dream come true, I've wanted to work on a Formula One car since I was a little boy," said Paul Ripke. "I live and breathe motorsport, so to be able to contribute to the team in a technical capacity is a huge honor. Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport already has a highly skilled technical team; however, they're very book-smart while I consider myself to be more street-smart. I am not bound by engineering principles or the laws of physics in my hunt for performance."