F1 exit was "never an option" for Lewis Hamilton - Toto Wolff

Hamilton, Wolff, Mercedes — Photo: © LAT Images

Austrian Grand Prix

F1 exit was "never an option" for Hamilton - Wolff

Hamilton's new deal was announced on Saturday morning

Sam Hall

Sunday 4 July 2021 09:15

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is confident quitting F1 was "never an option" for Lewis Hamilton after Saturday's contract announcement.

After only formalising his deal to contest this season in February, Mercedes wasted no time in tying seven-time champion Hamilton to a new two-year deal.

“I think... he never wanted to stop competing in F1," said Wolff. "But obviously you must always have options and stopping was never an option.

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“So it seemed pretty clear that we were continuing but he was well informed and well aware of what is happening around the 2021 car.

"He knows our structure and has the confidence in what we do and even if it is difficult like, for example, today, there is still the pace in each other going forward.”

'21 negotiations "feel like yesterday"

Last year, both Wolff and Hamilton maintained a mutual desire to confirm championship success in both the drivers' and constructors' battles before discussing a new arrangement.

The matter, however, was complicated by positive Covid tests for both parties and a deal was only finalised in February of this year.

Asked why the negotiations appeared simple compared to the other recent negotiation, Wolff said: “The winter seems like yesterday and all the important plans we had already discussed so it was basically copy and paste, extend the term to two years, decide on the detail of how we want to continue to run our joint foundation and that was pretty much it.

“It is good that we have this sorted for the next two years. There is so much work and so many challenges that we need to solve that in a way we have ticked one box and that is good.

“It gives us more capacity to look at other things.”