Wolff: Mercedes and Hamilton are 'a million times closer' than before

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has insisted that the Silver Arrows team and Lewis Hamilton are 'a million times closer' now than they were at the end of the 2016 campaign which was marred by several disagreements between the British driver and his team-mate at the time, Nico Rosberg.

Last year, Rosberg eventually won the world championship title only to announce his shock retirement not long after. Throughout his winning season, the partnership with Hamilton was strained to say the least, but the atmosphere has been better within the team this campaign, according to Wolff, especially since a meeting now known as the 'kitchen meeting' allowed for clear-the-air talks.

“Every driver has the right to be upset when you lose a championship. You could not expect him [Hamilton] to be all cheery when his teammate has just walked away with the title!" Wolff claimed to the the official F1 website.

“Another factor, of course, was that the relationship between the two was not great. Frustration had built up over the season on Lewis’s side, but not on the team side. Some of it was for very right reasons, but there are always two perspectives.

“Where it all changed for me was that meeting in the winter. It was not an easy discussion, but since then we’ve grown stronger together.

“And no doubt it is a perfect match: we provide the best car on the grid and he provides the strongest driving. So yes, it works for both of us.”

When asked what the relationship between Hamilton and Mercedes was currently like and whether they were closer, Wolff responded in very positive fashion.

"A million times closer," he claimed.

“Sometimes all it takes is to agree that you disagree. And then move on. In any functioning relationship of mine it is never plain sailing.

“You grow in difficult moments, and that goes for him and myself.”