Mercedes boss Toto Wolff ‘won’t be grumpy’ if Lewis Hamilton looks elsewhere to pursue his eighth championship
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has admitted he wouldn’t mind Lewis Hamilton leaving the team in pursuit of an eighth Drivers’ World Championship win.
Hamilton had a lot of confidence when he moved from McLaren to Mercedes in 2013. The gamble paid off big for both parties. Since then, the Briton has won 77 pole positions, 82 victories, 142 podiums and 6 of 7 World Championships at Silver Arrow. But it hasn’t been smooth sailing for him and Mercedes since the regulation changes were introduced at the start of the 2022 F1 campaign.
Hamilton is also entering the final year of his contract with the team. Wolff said he doesn’t expect the driver to leave anytime soon, but he has no qualms if he decides to look for greener pastures when his contract expires.
In an interview at F1 2023 Saudi Grand Prix At the weekend Sportskeeda also attended, the Austrian said:
“I don’t think Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes. He trusts each other at this stage of his career. We have a great bond with each other. Even if this is a problem, there is no reason to doubt each other.” So nice to come out of this valley of tears and come back with a solid performance. “
Lewis Hamilton won the season without a win or a pole position for the first time since his debut in 2007, but had a difficult time taming the Mercedes W13 last year. The situation does not seem to have improved in this year’s W14, red bull RB19.
Wolff admitted that the team will need to rethink the direction of machine development in order to catch up with the grid’s top runners.
Wolf further added:
“As a driver, if he [Lewis Hamilton] He wants to win another championship, so we need to make sure he has the car. If he can’t prove he can give him a car in the next few years, he’ll have to look anywhere – I don’t think he’s at that stage, but when it’s a year or two Even if it happens, I won’t complain.
‘I’m not going anywhere else’ – Lewis Hamilton reiterates intention to stay at Mercedes
Despite constant speculation about his future at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton wants to stay with the Silver Arrows and insists he has full confidence in the team.
In an interview calling Mercedes family, he said:
“I still trust this team 100%. It’s my family and I’ve been here for a long time and I wouldn’t go anywhere else.”
The 38-year-old also clarified that there are no clauses related to his performance on the track.
“There is no performance clause. ) always aim to keep challenging ourselves and not just sign drivers like everyone else does.What can we do? On how to promote Ignite partnerships, we are exploring different avenues and what else we can do.
Lewis Hamilton has reiterated his loyalty to Mercedes, with whom he has built a fruitful partnership. He concluded:
“I am fully integrated into Mercedes-Benz. I’m very proud of them, their impact in the world is huge, but we can always do more, so we’re talking about what else we can do to lift people’s spirits. .”
If rumors are to be believed, the Englishman could be offered a contract worth £62million ($74.6million) for the season, making him the highest-paid driver on the grid.