Lewis Hamilton

Wolff explains WHY Hamilton's contract was not signed earlier

The Mercedes team principal has opened up on Hamilton's contract negotiations

Anna Malyon

Saturday 2 September 2023 08:57

Toto Wolff has admitted that Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes contract extension might have been finalised much quicker if not for the involvement of legal procedures.

It was announced, prior to the Italian Grand Prix weekend, that both Hamilton and his team-mate George Russell had signed two-year contract extensions with the team.

Speculation surrounding Hamilton’s contract circulated the paddock, as rumours of a move to Ferrari for the British driver even emerged at one point in time.

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However, Mercedes team principal, Wolff, has suggested that the contract would have been sorted much sooner if not for the involvement of lawyers.

“Yeah, we already signed in May, but we didn’t tell anybody,” Wolff jokingly said to Sky Sports. “We thought [to] keep a bit of suspense! But, in all seriousness, we knew that we had an agreement not only emotionally, but also on paper many weeks ago.”

“But it was, you get lawyers on the case, and they find stuff – letters that were written wrong and so on.”

Wolff: Hamilton best driver in F1 history

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have extended their stay at Mercedes to the end of 2025

Wolff reiterated his confidence in Hamilton's ability to reclaim the top spot in F1. He also highlighted how the team dynamic between the two British drivers at Mercedes plays a crucial role in their overall performance.

“Lewis is the all-time best driver in Formula 1, and in terms of the records he held and championships like Michael,” he added. “The combination with George who is still in his very early years, his optimum, they push each other. They have sometimes different approaches to setup and at the end, the same benefits. It’s a great relationship.

“I’ve always said it when we renew, I don’t want to flirt outside if I have a good relationship. Only when I see that things are not going in the right direction, then I would test the markets, but I didn’t do it.”

With both Mercedes drivers committed to the team until the end of the 2025 season, they will be aiming to witness improvements in their performance and compete at the pinnacle of F1 once more.