If Mercedes "focuses on discussions with its current drivers", the Formula 1 team intends to "keep (its) options open" on the transfer market for 2021, especially concerning Sebastian Vettel, said his boss Toto Wolff Wednesday.
"We owe it to a four-time world champion not to close the door for him immediately," said Wolff, speaking of the German who will leave Ferrari in late 2020 during a video conference. "But we have a fantastic driver duo (Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, editor's note) which I am very happy with, as is George (Russell, Mercedes driver hired by Williams, editor's note)."
"You can never know. One of them can decide that he no longer wants to run and suddenly you have a place to fill, "continued the man who experienced the surprise retirement of the German Nico Rosberg at the end of 2016." It that's why we keep our options open even if, of course, we focus on discussions with our current pilots. ”
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Regarding Hamilton more specifically, Wolff indicated that the renegotiation of his contract for next season had not started during the confinement following the coronavirus pandemic.
However, he insisted on the "confidence" which linked him to the six-time British world champion. "This is why, when the races resume, we will meet, take the contract out of the boxes, look at the durations, the figures and the rights and I hope that we will have something quickly," assured the Austrian.
The F1 season, which should have started in mid-March in Australia, will finally start on July 5 in Austria, for a series of eight races in Europe until September, followed by extra-European events whose calendar is not still finalized.
"This new calendar and the coronavirus present us with new challenges," said the manager. Reliability will be fundamental during the first races. The cars are coming out of the containers back from Australia, there is not much time to test them on the test bench and we will have to use all the sessions on track to learn. ”
"A reduced schedule (compared to the 22 races originally planned, editor's note) is a challenge for everyone and I think the team with the fastest and most reliable car will win the championship," he predicted.
Rumors
The Austrian leader also denied rumors that Mercedes had lost interest in F1 in a more than gloomy economic climate. "Management sees F1 as an essential activity: we build road cars and racing cars," he said. In this respect, we do not consider it simply as a marketing platform which must generate income, but as an essential exercise. There is a transfer of technology between the road and F1 and this is not criticized within Daimler, even if we discuss all our activities and investments each year. "
"I think we're just the target of someone who wants headlines and clicks," he said. As for his own position, which has been the subject of many rumors recently, Wolff assured that he had an "excellent working relationship and even a friendship" with the boss of the group Daimler Ola Källenius.
"I intend to stay here"
Toto WolffHis investment in Aston Martin, which returns to F1 as a team next year, is solely "financial," he also said. “My executive functions remain unchanged. I'm at Mercedes, I'm the main team and a shareholder. It is certain that, for lack of news, Aston Martin has caused a stir but I plan with Mercedes. I intend to stay here. ”
When in its precise place within the organization chart, Wolff admits that it is "under discussion even as we speak". "We are in the process of developing our common future," he said. And so I don't want to stick to any particular wording, whether it's main team or general manager ... It doesn't matter and, to be honest, I haven't made a decision yet because we we didn't even start running. ”
Star of the brand to star, Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly recalled that his future at Mercedes was closely linked to that of Wolff, with whom he has gleaned five titles from drivers and six from manufacturers since 2014.
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