Wolff “firmly convinced” Hamilton will stay with Mercedes despite claims from the British tabloid, The Daily Mail, suggesting since Sunday that Scuderia Ferrari is ready to make a very substantial offer to Lewis Hamilton to join the team from the 2024 season.
In an interview on May 20, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff indirectly responded to the latest rumours published by the Daily Mail on May 21, which suggest that Ferrari are close to making an offer of more than £40 million to Lewis Hamilton to bring him to Maranello from the 2024 season.
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Wolff: I think Hamilton will stay
When Austrian media outlet Oe24 asked Toto Wolff about the progress of his talks with Lewis Hamilton for 2024 – while rumours of him moving to Ferrari or retiring are almost daily – the Mercedes boss said he was “firmly convinced” he would soon reach an agreement with the British driver for a contract extension.
“These rumours come up every two years when we have to sign a new contract,” said Toto Wolff.
“But none of this is true. We are talking normally and have no time constraints. I am firmly convinced that we will get there [to find an agreement], there is not an ounce of doubt for me.”
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Miami unseen 🌴🎬
Sharing some behind the scenes footage from our first home race of the year! #HaasF1 pic.twitter.com/5mqDp8ai4U
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) May 21, 2023
The seven-time world champion, now 38, has always said he will stay in Formula One for as long as he can, and when asked if Toto Wolff thinks the British driver will finish his career with Mercedes, the Austrian replied, “I can’t imagine anything else.”
“If we give Lewis a competitive single-seater, he will win for a long time. Look at Tom Brady [an American football player] what he was still capable of in his 40s.”
Lewis Hamilton – whose contract with his current team expires at the end of this 2023 campaign – has always said he wants to stay with Mercedes until the end of his career.
However, since 2022 his team’s poor performance has left him unable to fight for an eighth Formula One world title.
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If the rumours are true then there is no problem for Merzedes to equal any sum of money that Ferrari has to offer. Lewis will stay at Merzedes.
It is quite possible that Ham is demanding more cash this year than before and a ten years (or more) ambassadorial role for an extra 250 – 300 million that Mercedes does not consider worthwhile. Look at George being paid peanuts though he is performin better in the same car. Wolff too is as greedy as Hamilton and is looking at his next bilion. That is why the delay in contract signing.
Ferrari may at best offer him a two-year contract and no long-term ambassadorial antics.
Their brand is big enough and they don’t need the Ham brand. Most likely, he will lose to
Sainz just like he was losing to George. I foresee an abject picture of Ham’s future – a payback for all his atrocious past behaviour. A fellow who lucked into seven titles should have shown far greater humility.
You really do crack me up, Vijay… that, and I have enormous pity for you. I really cannot imagine having this much hatred in my life. It must be so consuming
Rent free in his head.