Wolff firmly denies: 'I have not spoken to other drivers'

Toto Wolff firmly denies that there were any doubts about Lewis Hamilton's future in Formula 1. Wolff is rumoured to have made some calls to potential successors of the Briton, but the Mercedes team boss says there is no truth in that.

The aftermath of Abu Dhabi 2021

After the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, silence reigned for a long time around Hamilton. It was no surprise that the seven-time world champion was disappointed after losing his eighth world title in the final lap of the last race, where he had completely dominated it. Rumours about his future were already circulating that winter, but they only increased when the W13 proved less than competitive this season.

With a car that neither Hamilton nor George Russell have come close to winning, it is not surprising that Hamilton, at the age of 37, might be thinking about his future and his team principal might be looking for a successor. That Wolff would have started looking for a successor is therefore not such a crazy thought, but it turns out nothing of the sort is true.

Mercedes remains confident

Wolff told Motorsport-total.com Wolff claims that there is no truth in these rumours. ''I have not had any contact with other drivers," the Austrian says. Hamilton also has a contract until 2023 and Wolff claims that Lewis and he would have continued anyway until 2023 hoping that the car would be better.

Yet the Mercedes team boss also acknowledges that the current situation is difficult. Where Mercedes managed to dominate the sport for eight years in a row, in 2022 it cannot yet compete for victory. ''That is certainly not a pleasant experience," concludes the man from Vienna who did see his team creep closer to Ferrari and Red Bull Racing during the first half of the season. The 50-year-old Austrian's hope is that Mercedes will be back in contention for wins after the summer.