Mercedes Formula 1 team boss Toto Wolff has denied that money and a Max Verstappen veto were the reasons for the delay over Lewis Hamilton’s new contract with the team.
Various reports circulated that seven-time F1 World Champion Hamilton was holding out for more money and a share of Mercedes’ television revenues, whilst a more recent rumour said the Briton had asked for the inclusion of a veto on Verstappen joining the team.
Both of these are “baseless” according to Wolff, who explained the real reason behind Hamilton’s delayed deal.
“There was not a moment where we thought he would not sign,” Wolff told reporters on Monday following the announcement of a one-year deal for Hamilton. “There was never a moment where he doubted it [either].
“These specific clauses that were out there in the media, I don’t know where it came from because none of it is true.
“I read about this [veto clause] and found it interesting, but the truth is there was not a second of discussion about any driver-specific clause. He has never asked for that in the last eight years and it is a team decision.
“And the other clause about the revenue split or share, came out of nowhere. That rumour was baseless too so none of that was ever part of our discussions.”
Wolff explained that Hamilton’s COVID-19 infection was to blame for the prolonged negotiations as it forced them to delay talks.
“We left it very late and we wanted to discuss the contract at the end of the season between the Bahrain races and then, obviously, Lewis didn’t feel well, so in the end we started our conversations just before Christmas.
“It was important to get it done as soon as possible and in that respect we thought let’s postpone the discussion about 2022 and onwards to a later stage in 2021.”
I don’t believe a word Wolff says. If it wasn’t about money, and it wasn’t about teammates, then what took so long. Are we supposed to conclude that the delay was all about granting each other intimate favours? Certainly the covid situation wouldn’t have created such delay. Zoom, Skype, Facetime, or a good old-fashioned ‘phone call is all it’d take to say, “This is our offer”, “That’ll do, thanks”, “Do you mind who drives the other car”, “Not at all, get whoever you like”. Or similarly uncontentious words to that effect. I think it’s safe to say that after seven successful seasons together, and given this great friendship they both profess, that if no outrageous demands were being made a couple of hours on the blower would be the maximum requirement to reach a settlement satisfactory to all parties. Unless Wolff is forthcoming with something entirely more convincing than his feeble covid line, then it can be taken that the media have hit the bullseye with one or more of their speculations, and Wolff is lying through his teeth.