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Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says the W14 “is not going to win him a drivers’ championship this year, so we need to give it another shot”.
In recent interview with ESPN, Toto Wolff said he feels obliged to provide Lewis Hamilton with a car capable of fighting for a championship.
“We owe him a car,” the Austrian said.
“Now, that’s difficult when you see the pace of the Red Bull, but we owe him a car.
“This one is not going to win him a drivers’ championship this year, so we need to give it another shot.”
Wolff then turned to contract negotiations with Lewis, which he says can “awkward” due to the friendship they share.
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“It’s super awkward. Every three years we know that we have this moment. And it’s like negotiating financial terms with your best friend, with a close friend.
“How do you tackle that? Normally you don’t have such a situation. I want the best for him, but in that role I need the best for the team.
“That can be the only time in our ten or 11 years when we are together and our objectives diverge.
“At the end of the day, talking about money with your friend is difficult. Penny [Thow, Hamilton’s manager] helps.
“Penny has been keeping us in check and we have found a good modus operandi with her about how we talk. We avoid talking to each other about money but we both talk to Penny.”
Ultimately, Toto says trust is the key component of their relationship.
“Trust is a bit of a topic for him and me, and you need to earn trust, test it, and only then can you trust and we built it up over the years.
“We had some tough moments, like in 2016 [when Hamilton lost the title battle to team-mate Nico Rosberg], but we tackled it right away.
“It’s like [what] I have with Susie [Wolff], if I have an issue you pick up the phone immediately and speak. Everything is being discussed and you clear the air, or you agree to disagree.
“And with him since then we have been super strong,” Wolff concluded.
