Hamilton, Ferrari links no surprise for Mercedes - Wolff

Toto Wolff has suggested that reports linking Lewis Hamilton to a move to Ferrari in 2021 have come as no surprise to him.

The end of 2019 has been dominated by talk of Hamilton making a sensational switch across F1's biggest powerhouses.

Wolff has previously said he will not stand in Hamilton's way if he wants to chase a move to Maranello, with his Mercedes contract expiring at the end of 2020, like a number of high-profile F1 figures, including Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel and Wolff himself.

Hamilton has suggested that Verstappen may be in a number of drivers to have already sought out Wolff to discuss replacing Hamilton, but the Silver Arrows boss remains focused on keeping his star man in place.

"This is a process that is going to take a little bit of time, but I don't see any surprises actually as it stands," Wolff said.

"The two of us have been together for quite a while, we trust each other, we have gone through difficult times together and we have come out stronger with a better bond.

"Besides us, there are many others which form part of that inner circle within the team. So of course we talk all the time where we see the team going and Lewis' career going.

"In terms of the silly season, it's normal: You guys [the media] drop us little grenades, sometimes we pick them up and they explode in our hand and it's part of the narrative.

"It's good that over the winter these talks happen, but at the same time the two of us talk all the time about it.

"There have never been any surprises; when things come out in the press, it was weeks or months that we knew about each other what our thinking was. It's part of Formula 1, I guess."

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