Toto Wolff has warned former team owner Eddie Jordan to stop spreading rumours that Mercedes will quit Formula One at the end of 2018.
For the second time this year, the team boss-turned-TV pundit speculated the Mercedes' board had already decided to sell its F1 team at the end of 2018 and become an engine supplier. Jordan believes the German manufacturer is already in talks with Formula One bosses to get out of its contract with the sport and would become an engine supplier to McLaren next year.
"I am ready for any banter with Eddie, but for me I stop laughing when it is about making jokes on the back of 1500 employees that care about their future," Wolff said.
"I said it in an interview with him that it is too serious for me, we are not leaving F1, none of our sponsors are leaving F1 and we are pretty happy with where we are. He should just stop putting these rumours -- fake news -- out in the world."
Mercedes has a contract to remain in F1 until the end of 2020 and Wolff recently said the current negotiations with the sport's owners are based around exploring an extension rather than shortening the current deal.