‘A work in progress’ - Wolff’s update on Hamilton’s F1 contract negotiations

Seven-time world champion Hamilton is on course to become a free agent in seven months with his present deal with Mercedes expiring at the end of the year. 

Hamilton opened contract talks with his Mercedes team boss Wolff earlier this year but they are yet to put pen to paper on a renewed deal. 

With final terms yet to be signed off, Hamilton’s future has been the subject of intense speculation despite the 38-year-old reiterating that he has no plans to leave Mercedes, or quit F1. 

Ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, Wolff expressed confidence that a deal will be struck. 

“It’s been 11 years that we’ve been together and every single time when we talk about Lewis’ contract, it’s six months of where are we and what is happening?” Wolff explained. 

“And we keep saying the same thing, that we are just rolling on. It’s not any difficult contract negotiations. It’s just putting a few different numbers in there. That’s what we do. 

“We are working on this. It’s a work in progress, bouncing emails back and forth and eventually we are going to sign it.”

Speaking in a recent interview with ESPN, Hamilton said he feels in his “prime” and indicated that he plans to remain in F1 for several more years.

"I don't plan on stopping any time soon," he said. “I’m not at the end of my career, I'm not in the downhill slope of my career. I'm in my prime.

"It all depends on how hard I want to work and keep myself in my prime, in terms of physical and mental capability.

"If you look at LeBron [James], if you look at Tom Brady, they have shown that it can be sustained for as long as you are dedicated enough to put the energy and time in.

"Right now, I don't plan on changing, I only plan on adding to the drive and the motivation and to being better. I'm massively driven."