Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has strongly dismissed claims that he has spoken to the likes of Sergio Perez concerning the prospect of changing Lewis Hamilton as “complete bull****.”
Hamilton was denied a record-breaking eighth drivers title on the ultimate lap of the 2021 season, lacking out to Max Verstapppen in controversial circumstances, and his subsequent retreatal from public viewing sparked claims he was contemplating retirement.
While that was put to mattress when Hamilton acknowledged his intent to return on the 2022 Mercedes launch, a poor begin to the season in an under-performing automobile once more fuelled rumours the seven-time champion won’t see out the tip of his present deal to the tip of 2023.
Red Bull’s Perez was one such driver linked however Wolff inisists he by no means known as the Mexican driver and emphasised that he has had conversations with Hamilton about persevering with for “maybe five or 10 years.”
“It’s complete bull****”, Wolff stated of the Perez to Mercedes rumours, in an interview with Motorsport.com.
“I never called Sergio, he’s a good guy and I respect him, but I never talked to him and I was not in contact with any other driver.
“Lewis and I, even in the face of a not-so-encouraging scenario like the beginning of this season, we are always aligned in wanting to try to make things better and to be together next year.
“And we’ve been telling each other for a couple of months that we could go on, maybe five or 10 years, right? So none of that is true.”
Wolff has led Mercedes to eight straight constructors’ titles regardless of the heartache on lacking out on the drivers title final season, but 2022 has been a special story altogether.
Plagued by issues with bouncing and porpoising of their W13 automobile, Mercedes at present languish third within the Constructors’ Standings after 13 races, 127 factors behind Red Bull in first and 30 factors behind Ferrari.
Verstappen additionally has a wholesome lead within the Drivers Leaderboard as he closes in on a second title; the 24-year-old is 80 factors forward of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second, with Hamilton sixth.
Source: www.impartial.co.uk