Hamilton ready to make major call on his future
LEWIS Hamilton will seek reassurances over Toto Wolff ’s plans before committing his future to Mercedes.
Wolff, who has overseen five of Hamilton’s six world championship triumphs, has been touted as a leading candidate to run the sport beyond next season.
The 47-year-old Austrian insists his focus remains on Mercedes, but after leading the Silver Arrows to win historic sixth consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ titles, he could be tempted by taking on a fresh challenge.
Hamilton’s £40m-a-season deal is up for renewal at the conclusion of next year, and he is set to sit down with Wolff over the winter to discuss his future.
“I am waiting to see where Toto’s head is at,” said Hamilton (below) ahead of tomorrow’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
“He has been the perfect match for this team, so I don’t want him to leave if I am going to stay in this sport.
“I know that as a figurehead of a business, you have got to have the right people in place.
“If you look at some organisations, a new person can come in and they will start doing things their own way, and it can go wrong.
“The sport could also be in a good place with someone like him running it.”
Team principal Wolff is absent from this weekend’s race after Hamilton secured his sixth world championship in Austin a fortnight ago.
Hamilton will start next season as the favourite to equal Michael Schumacher’s record of seven championships.
The 34-year-old will wear a special crash helmet here at Interlagos to honour Ayrton Senna, his childhood hero who perished at the San Marino Grand Prix 25 years ago.
“As a young boy growing up in Stevenage who was constantly confronted with bullying, it was great to see someone standing up for themselves,” he said.