The team Mercedes has made official the renewal of his contract with Lewis Hamilton for one more season, which should allow the British to achieve his eighth Formula 1 world title and become the most awarded pilot in the specialty, surpassing Michael Schumacher. Shortly after the statement was issued confirming the continuity of the seven-time champion with the team of his great successes, Toto Wolff held a telematic meeting with various international media in which offered more details about the deal.
The CEO and shareholder of Mercedes F1 justified one of the few details that have transpired the new contract, its duration: “We agreed that out of a year first of all because in 2022 there will be a major regulatory change. We also want to know how circumstances unfold in the world and in the company ”.
In any case, the Austrian manager acknowledges that the general situation has had its influence on this whole process: “There is many uncertainties that can affect the sport and the company. Daimler (Mercedes owner group) is in a great transformation towards electric mobility that requires investments, it is a very different financial environment from years ago. But it’s something that Lewis and we agree on. “
Wolff also refers to a question of deadlines: “We wanted to talk about the contract at the end of last season, between the two Bahrain races but obviously Hamilton was not very well (He got COVI-19). So we started negotiations just before Christmas, it was important to do it as soon as possible. With all the delay we think that it was better to postpone the discussion about 2022 to later, at a later time this year. “
In Wolff’s words, it was decided to solve the urgency of renewal for 2021 and look for another opportunity to look ahead: “We will find the moment during this year to discuss the future, not just for 2022, even beyond. And it is not that we want to do through videoconferences during Christmas ”.
Finally, the head of the Mercedes project in F1 denied the existence of any kind of clause that will condition the team in the choice of the partner of its star pilot: “About what has been published in the Press, I do not know where the existence of that clause could have arisen. Hamilton never asked for any of that in the last eight years, it is a decision that corresponds exclusively to the team. Nor is it true that he requested a share in our income, none of that has any foundation ”.