Toto Wolff has admitted he would no longer blame Lewis Hamilton for searching for a transfer clear of Mercedes if the game’s once-dominant crew fails to opposite its stoop.
Hamilton’s £40m-a-year contract with the Silver Arrows expires on the finish of the season and his long run is beneath the microscope following their deficient begin to 2023.
Hamilton was once handiest 5th on the first spherical in Bahrain sooner than he completed eleventh in observe on Friday for this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, one 2nd adrift of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Although crew main Wolff stays satisfied that Hamilton, 38, will pen a brand new deal, he additionally mentioned that his famous person driving force’s head may well be became as he pursues a file 8th global championship.
“If Lewis wants to win another championship he needs to make sure he has the car,” mentioned Wolff. “And if we can not display that we’re ready to offer him a automobile within the subsequent couple of years then he’s going to want to glance far and wide. I do not believe he’s doing it at this level, however I can haven’t any court cases if that occurs in a 12 months or two.”
Red Bull could have a vacancy at the end of the year with Sergio Pérez operating on a 12-month deal, but it seems unlikely that Hamilton would be paired alongside Verstappen. Ferrari is a possible avenue to explore if Charles Leclerc elects to engineer a move away.
But Wolff added: “I am absolutely confident. [Hamilton will stay], We are talking about 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 it is a difficult spell. It will be so nice when we come out of the valley of tears and return to solid performances.
In Bahrain, Hamilton accused Mercedes of ignoring him on the development of this season’s machine. Here, the British driver, who on Friday announced a sudden split from his long-time ally and performance coach Angela Cullen, said “all of us desire a kick” and revealed “there are occasions whilst you don’t seem to be in settlement with sure crew contributors”. .
“There are feelings at play with him, with me and with many others within the crew,” said Wolff. “We wear our hearts on our sleeves and sometimes you say things that are translated in a controversial or polarizing way which inside the team never causes waves.
“If I am watching a race that doesn’t go well I would also say, ‘I am not happy how the car has been developed’. That is OK. We want the emotions to be high and we want tough love and nobody is going to take that on the chin in the team.”