Talks between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes over a new contract will begin in earnest this month, team boss Toto Wolff says.
Ever since Abu Dhabi, when it emerged Hamilton had been in contact with Ferrari chairman John Elkann, speculation has been swirling regarding his future, with his current contract expiring after 2020.
Following new deals for Max Verstappen at Red Bull and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, it was rumoured the six-time champion was close to a new two-year contract of his own before it was suggested there was disagreement over terms, both of which Hamilton later denied.
Now, Wolff has cleared everything up by revealing he and Lewis haven’t been in close contact for several weeks.
“The last time we met was at the Christmas party,” he told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.
“We chatted a bit about the future. Since then we have only talked on WhatsApp.
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“When you’re on the go for 10 months, it’s also important to give it a rest. That’s why we decided to leave ourselves alone in December and January.
“When things start again in February, we will sit down and talk.”
Given the announcements elsewhere, it has seemingly made the outcome of Hamilton renewing at Mercedes more likely, providing the German manufacturer continues with their works team in F1 too.
But the Austrian believes change is still a possibility also.
“As a driver of his stature, Lewis always has options,” he stated.
“The same goes for us. As long as we build a fast car, we will always be in a situation where we can choose the drivers.”
This will be the fourth contract Hamilton and Mercedes have negotiated since he joined in 2013, and Wolff admits each time does get a little harder because of the relationship that has been built.
“We have different interests in this special case,” he said. “For example, when it comes to the financial side.
“But no matter how hard it was [in past negotiations], in the end, there was always a handshake. Lewis wants to drive the fastest car and we want the best driver.”
