Who will replace Lewis Hamilton if he retires? Toto Wolff gives a major update

Toto Wolff opens up about his plan in case Lewis Hamnilton decides to leave the Silver Arrows.

Who will replace Lewis Hamilton if he retires? Toto Wolff gives a major update

Toto Wolff, Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013. Ever since, this pair has continued for over a decade and broken several records. The Hamilton-Mercedes duo achieved unprecedented success as the Silver Arrows won a record 8 constructors’ F1 titles. However, the German team has struggled in the last couple of years, with many speculating if the 38-year-old will continue at the team. Team Principal Toto Wolff shed some light on the plan for this scenario.

Wolff dismissed the considerations for such a plan for now as the Austrian billionaire was adamant about having Lewis Hamilton. He stated, “I think it may sound naive, but I really struggle to think of a Plan B, if my Plan A is still the one that is my favourite.” Toto further ruled out negotiations with other drivers as long as Hamilton desired to stay. The 51-year-old explained, “I don’t want to engage in discussions with other drivers, because I’m happy with the ones that are in the team.”

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Hamilton has not been happy with the progress made by the German team so far

Moreover, the Mercedes boss asserted that Lewis Hamilton remains the main focus. Wolff declared, “At the moment, there is no Plan B. It’s Lewis.” The Austrian was confident Lewis would give the Silver Arrows adequate time to find a replacement. Toto continued, “I think that he would tell us early enough”  Previously, Nico Rosberg‘s shock F1 retirement had forced Mercedes to find a driver on short notice for 2017.

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“He wouldn’t let us down,” Wolff rules out a sudden Lewis Hamilton exit

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Wolff is happy with the current Mercedes line-up of Hamilton and George Russell

The 51-year-old emphasized that Lewis Hamilton would not leave the team abruptly. Toto stated, “I don’t think that Lewis would say: ‘I can’t do this anymore. I’m out of here tomorrow.'” Moreover, Wolff had faith in the British driver for not putting the Silver Arrows in a difficult position. The Mercedes team boss said, “He would always feel the responsibility for the team. He wouldn’t leave the team alone.”

Additionally, Toto believed that Lewis Hamilton would not be one of those drivers who would make such a call. He continued, “Drivers can always take decisions [like that], but he wouldn’t let us down.” Lastly, the 51-year-old was convinced that the Brackley team could overcome such a situation regardless and find a suitable driver. Toto Wolff concluded, “Who will replace Lewis Hamilton if he retires? Toto Wolff gives a major update.”

Thus, Toto Wolff presently does not have a plan for Lewis Hamilton’s exit from Mercedes. The 51-year-old has faith that the 7-time world champion would give the team ample time to transition without him. This is not a surprise as the 38-year-old has a strong connection with the Silver Arrows as well as Wolff. However, it would be interesting to speculate who could potentially replace Hamilton at Mercedes in the future.

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