Lewis Hamilton should sign more than a one-year deal, feels Mercedes boss Toto Wolff

Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff wants Lewis Hamilton to commit to a long-term deal and not a year-long extension for the coming season.

The 2020 edition of the Turkish GP saw Lewis Hamilton claim his seventh world driver's championship. (Image: Twitter)
By Shayne Dias | May 11, 2021 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

The 2021 Formula 1 season has barely begun and already talks have begun over a new Lewis Hamilton contract at Mercedes. The seven-time world champion shows no sign of slowling down, currently leading the world driver’s championship by 14 points. However, he only signed a one-year extension to his deal at the beginning of last season. But the good news is that he is keen to extend the deal. That being said, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff wants him to commit to a long-term deal this time around. Hamilton’s last two deals have lasted a year and Wolff is understandably keen to tie down his prize asset for longer.

“Yes, it should be (longer than a year). We don’t want to be in a stressful situation every single year where we are absolutely flat-out trying to win races and needing to negotiate,” Wolff said.

“I would rather that doesn’t happen every year. We just need to spend a day or two together, put it out there, and decide which are the difficult components. We will then lock the door and won’t walk out until it is sorted.

“That works best for us and it has worked best for us in the past.”

It’s also worth noting that Hamilton is 36 years old and is chasing an unprecedented eighth drivers’ title. That being said, Wolff thinks the British driver should be able to keep racing much longer.

“As long as Lewis continues to look after himself mentally and physically, continues to develop cognitively, then he can go on for much longer,” he added.

Uncertainty over other Mercedes driver

Yet while Hamilton’s future at the team seems secure, the same cannot be said over his teammate Valtteri Bottas. Rumours over him being replaced – maybe even midway through the season – are doing the rounds.

But while a mid-season switch is not an option according to both Wolff and Bottas, he too is out of contract at the end of this season.

Mercedes junior driver George Russell, currently at Williams, is also a free agent come 2023 and a new teammate for Lewis Hamilton seems a possibility.

Bottas has failed to win a race so far this season. However, he did qualify on pole in Portugal and has two podium finishes.