F1 News: Lewis Hamilton And Toto Wolff Clash Over Contract - "It's Super Awkward"
Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff, the dynamic duo responsible for the historic winning spree of the Mercedes team from 2014 to 2021, are in the midst of another round of contract negotiations. This process, a necessity for the continuance of their successful partnership, is not without its share of discomfort as the Austrian chief labels it "awkward".
During their reign of victory, Wolff, as team principal and a significant stakeholder, along with Hamilton, a dominant force in the driver's seat, propelled Mercedes to eight consecutive Constructors' titles. Hamilton himself became a seven-time World Champion, claiming six of these titles during this period.
Times have changed slightly for Mercedes. The torrent of victories isn't as consistent as it once was, but Hamilton is firm on his intentions to stay with the team for the 2023 F1 season. Thus, he and Wolff are back to the negotiation table, a situation that Wolff candidly admits to finding quite uncomfortable.
Discussing finances between close friends can indeed be an awkward affair, and this is exactly the predicament Wolff and Hamilton find themselves in.
"It's super awkward," Wolff confessed in a recent interview with ESPN, "How do you tackle that? I want the best for him, but in that role, I need the best for the team
“At the end of the day, talking about money with your friend is difficult."
Hamilton's manager, Penni Thow, is there to help navigate these challenging waters.
"Penni helps. Penni has been keeping us in check and we have found a good modus operandi with her about how we talk," Wolff continued, "We avoid talking to each other about money but we both talk to Penni."
Hamilton mirrors Wolff's sentiment, agreeing on the uncomfortable nature of discussing financial details. While there have been rumours connecting him to Ferrari, Hamilton remains focused on finalising his contract with Mercedes.
“There is no panic [over the contract],” Hamilton told the press. “We will get to it, neither of us feel pressure, we are always honest.
“So, if Toto was talking to someone he would tell me and vice-a-versa. I’ve never ever in my whole time gone and spoken behind a team’s back to someone else to see if I can get them to raise the bar so that he has to raise his bar – I’ve never played that game, and he hasn’t either.
“So, we have always been straight shooters. But I think ultimately having such a close relationship makes it hard sometimes having hard business discussions, because emotion is involved and we have to be very careful to step out of the circle, put the relationship aside and focus on business and what’s best for us both business wise.
“But we have managed to find that balance really well over the years.”
The duo is eager for the unveiling of the heavily-modified W14 challenger at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, hoping it will steer them back to their winning ways in the coming years. But with serious flood warnings and the government calling for it to be cancelled, this might be a dead end for the Brackley team this weekend.