Wolff vows to avoid repeat of "uncomfortable" contract talks with Hamilton
Wolff vows to avoid repeat of "uncomfortable" contract talks with Hamilton
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is adamant there will be no repeat this year of the "uncomfortable" situation he found himself in with Lewis Hamilton when it came to discussing his latest contract.
For one reason or another throughout 2020, Wolff and Hamilton were unable to find time to negotiate terms on a new deal that led to the clock running out and the seven-time champion only putting pen to paper on a one-year agreement.
Whilst the ball is in Hamilton's court as to whether he wants to continue beyond this season, Wolff is at least determined to ensure that if the 36-year-old is willing to do so, then an extension is sorted sooner rather than later.
“We have agreed that we want to pick up the discussions much earlier this year to avoid a situation like we had in 2020 where we ran out of time and were in the uncomfortable position that there was just no time left before the beginning of the season," said Wolff.
“That is also why we did a one-year contract in order to allow us to discuss the future, in racing and outside of racing, longer and with the right amount of time.”
Wolff goes into the season in the unusual situation that all of the team's drivers are out of contract at the end of the year.
Along with Hamilton, Bottas' deal will again be up for renewal as he is on a rolling one-year agreement, while Mercedes junior George Russell's three-year tenure with Williams is up.
Even Esteban Ocon, who is managed by Mercedes, will be available as his two-year contract with Renault/Alpine expires.
Asked whether he found himself in a dangerous situation with Hamilton and Bottas, in particular, only having one-year deals going forwards, Wolff initially joked: “Well it is never both [seats] because I can always jump in and drive the cars so it is just one cockpit that remains free."
On a more serious note, Wolff added: “As a matter of fact, I think if Lewis continues to race we will want to do this together and we will discuss that shortly. With Valtteri, we know exactly what we have and we appreciate this.
“At the same time, the landscape changes with new cars, new regulations and we have got to take the right decision for the team going forward.
"But that also means we will have the discussions with our two drivers first and then we will see where that goes.”
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 paddock favourite admits immense DOUBTS over Verstappen Red Bull future
- 47 minutes ago
Hamilton F1 rival makes SURPRISE claim about Ferrari move
- 1 hour ago
Schumacher names shock F1 star to replace Hulkenberg at Haas
- 2 hours ago
Hamilton in Arsenal title wish after STUNNING revelation
- 3 hours ago
F1 boss 'in early talks' to SELL 25 percent of team
- Today 13:57
Will F1 hopeful Antonelli replace Sargeant from Imola?
- Today 12:58
Related news
Mercedes reveal shock RED livery to celebrate historic milestone
Verstappen 'to meet Mercedes over SHOCK 2025 move as Red Bull exit clause revealed'
BLOW for former F1 champion as Mercedes preferences revealed
Mercedes star tipped to replace struggling driver THIS season
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860