Lewis Hamilton praised team boss Toto Wolff’s leadership style, which plays a large role in the Briton’s continued commitment to Mercedes.
Hamilton explained how money is not the most important factor for him when choosing where to continue his career.
“When I joined the team, I opened up doors to be able to do things like [my] partnership with Tommy [Hilfiger],” said the 35-year-old.
“If we hadn’t had this earlier discussion, Tommy wouldn’t be a part of our team, I wouldn’t be able to do the great things that I’m doing.
“So just small bits we have to tweak here and there which enable those things, which then don’t take away from the primary goal, which is to win world titles.
“Every year your life is moving and shifting and your plan for your next five years is always different.
“Obviously I’m going into potentially my last period of time in my sport and of course you want to maximise financially but it’s more about results.
“It’s about the journey and the destination and the other things that you’re doing also that complement that.”
And Hamilton believes Wolff is one of the primary reasons why Mercedes was and continues to be such a good fit for him.
“I think [he’s] unlike other managers [who] have generally been quite narrow-minded in a lot of things.
“Perhaps no one else would allow me to do, for example, the thing I do with Tommy, which is not conflicting to any of the brands.
“If anything, that’s helped elevate us. We’ve brought a little bit of colour. Before we were a black-and-white team and now we have colours on our shirts which was not a Mercedes way in the past.
“But even Mercedes are becoming a more flexible and more appealing brand.
“And I think that’s only been good for us,” concluded the Briton.