03 May 2023 , 18:30
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Toto Wolff expects Lewis Hamilton to vie for another championship with Mercedes next season, despite talk of a move for Charles Leclerc.
Mercedes chief Wolff has overseen a difficult season, with rivals Red Bull opening up an early lead in the drivers' championship. The Austrian has warned Hamilton that upgrades to the car will not necessarily bring an instant turnaround, after Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have each won two of the four races this season.
Hamilton has been on Mercedes' roster since 2013, winning six of his seven world championships with the team. Monegasque driver Leclerc had been linked with a switch, raising questions over Hamilton's future, but the 25-year-old has poured cold water on the speculation.
“I think he’s [Leclerc] 100% committed and loyal to Ferrari and it’s his contract, and in the same way we are 100% committed to putting pen to paper with Lewis," Wolff said, per Formula1.com. "I think nobody doubts Charles’s ability and he’s a good guy.
"The only time I talked to him was to ask where the gate is in Melbourne to board the plane. No contact otherwise.
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"Charles is a super guy, and for the long-term future someone you need to always have on your radar and that’s clear. But not for the short- or the medium-term."
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Toto Wolff has spoken about recent reports around Hamilton (HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)Ferrari chief Frederic Vasseur has also discussed the Leclerc situation. The young driver is two places behind Hamilton in the overall standings after four races, but picked up his first podium finish of the season in Azerbaijan.
"The rumours about Charles and Mercedes are bulls***," Vasseur said "Charles said he loves Ferrari and wants to win with Ferrari. We are at the beginning of the season, where there is much gossip we will hear every weekend, but we are not worried."
Wolff, meanwhile, believes he and Hamilton are on the same page regarding Mercedes not being likely to find themselves in contention for the constructors' championship this time around. "That is what it looks like at the moment, and we just need to give him a car that can do that and hopefully we can get our package to a winning package this season and have something that can bring him his eighth title, and no doubt he is motivated to achieve this," he said.
"That’s something he wants to do, that’s his ability, we have a great relationship personally, and with the team he’s been a strong pillar over the last 10 years, so we are in a really good place."