01 September 2023 , 14:54
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Toto Wolff said he considered no other Formula 1 drivers before tying Lewis Hamilton down to a new deal.
Almost a year has passed since Hamilton declared his intention to sign a new contract with Mercedes, while Wolff had also made it clear that was what he wanted. Despite them being on the same page, the deal was only announced finally on Thursday ahead of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.
Speaking to Sky Sports at Monza, the team principal was in a jovial mood as he cracked jokes about the amount of time it took to get to this point. He also said the deal was signed some time ago, but an announcement was delayed while it was legally ratified.
"We already signed in May but we didn't tell anybody," he smirked. "Keep a bit of suspense. In all seriousness, we knew that we had an agreement, not only emotionally but on paper many weeks ago but it was just you get lawyers on the case and they find stuff."
Given how long it took to reach the agreement, most teams would understandably at least take a look at what their alternative options might be. But, when asked by Martin Brundle whether the likes of Max Verstappen or Charles Leclerc were considered, Wolff made it clear he only ever had his eye on one outcome.
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"No. I've always said that when we renew, I don't want to flirt outside if I have a good relationship," said the Austrian. "Only when I see that things are not going in the right direction then I would test the market, but I didn't do it."
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff explained the new deal for Lewis Hamilton (Sky Sports)Hamilton's new deal keeps him with the team and in F1 until the end of the 2025 season. And George Russell has also committed for a similar length of time, ensuring Wolff does not have to worry about his driver line-up for a couple of years.
It means Hamilton will be a few weeks shy of his 41st birthday when this contract expires. The seven-time world champion has previously suggested that he was looking for a longer deal, but Wolff explained the concern he had which led to them agreeing on a shorter contract length.
He said: "This is a dynamic environment. Signing a five-year contract means that you need to discuss is there any escape clause in case we are not providing him with a car that is performing. So we didn't entertain that. We said the foreseeable future is two years and that's what we are committing to each other."