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With rumors swirling of a shock offer from Ferrari, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is convinced Lewis Hamilton will stay with the Silver Arrows
Following a report that Ferrari was preparing a shock offer to lure Lewis Hamilton to the Scuderia, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has issued his response. Speaking with Austrian outlet Osterreich, the Mercedes boss stated he was “firmly convinced” that Lewis Hamilton will return to the Silver Arrows.
“These rumors come up every two years when we have to sign a new contract. But none of this is true,” said the Mercedes boss. “We discuss normally, without any time pressure.”
Hamilton’s contract is set to expire at the end of the 2023 season. The seven-time World Champion renewed his deal with Mercedes in 2021, and both Wolff and the driver have at differing times indicated that a deal would be reached between the parties.
However, that was called into question on Monday following a report from The Daily Mail that Ferrari was preparing a massive offer to lure Hamilton away from Mercedes. According to the report, the offer would be in the neighborhood of £40 million.
The report also indicated that Ferrari president John Elkann was already in contact with Hamilton.
Wolff, however, is confident that a deal will be reached to keep Hamilton with the Brackley-based outfit. “I’m firmly convinced that we’ll find each other, there’s not a millimeter of doubt for me,” Wolff told Osterreich.
The Mercedes boss has indicated in recent months that should the team fail to deliver a car that Hamilton can drive to a championship, he would understand if, in the future, Hamilton would decide to leave for greener pastures. Speaking ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this season, Wolff addressed that possibility. “If Lewis wants to win another championship he needs to make sure he has the car,” said Wolff in Saudi Arabia. “And if we cannot demonstrate that we are able to give him a car in the next couple of years then he will need to look everywhere. I don’t think he is doing it at this stage, but I will have no complaints if that happens in a year or two.”
Even then, the Mercedes Team Principal expressed confidence at getting a deal done.
“I am absolutely confident [Hamilton will stay]. We are talking when we want to do it, and how, but we just need to change some terms and the dates basically. Lewis is at the stage of his career where we trust each other, we have formed a great bond and we have no reason to doubt each other even though is a difficult spell,” he added. “It will be so nice when we come out of the valley of tears and return to solid performances.”
As for the potential move to Ferrari, the reporting from The Daily Mail outlined how that could be accomplished even with the current driver lineup for both teams. One such option would see Hamilton take Carlos Sainz Jr.’s spot with the Scuderia. The other? A stunning “driver swap,” that would see Hamilton drive alongside Sainz with Ferrari, and Charles Leclerc move to Mercedes to drive with George Russell.
According to Wolff, however, none of these options should come to pass.
