11 September 2023 , 06:10
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Toto Wolff appears to have confirmed David Coulthard's theory as to why Lewis Hamilton took so long to sign his new Mercedes contract.
Almost a year has passed since the Brit expressed his desire to continue racing in Formula 1. And, with Wolff also making it clear he wanted to tie Hamilton down, an extension appeared to be a formality.
But it took a lot longer than expected. The new deal was finally announced on the eve of the Italian Grand Prix weekend, with confirmation that the seven-time world champion will stay until the end of the 2025 season.
Months earlier, Wolff had asserted that salary and the length of the contract were already agreed. That led to speculation over what exactly might be holding things up.
Wolff has now explained what was happening behind the scenes. "Lewis and I were clear on the major terms in June, July," he said. "Things were just dribbling along. Bubbling along slowly. Then it was summer break. In the end, it was about marketing – not really the big relevant topics. That took a bit of time."
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Wolff's explanation appears to confirm that former F1 driver Coulthard was correct in his suspicions. He had previously suggested that the amount of time Hamilton spends with sponsors and media would be a major topic of discussion for the Brit.
He said: "Mercedes will want a certain amount of time from Lewis for their partners. Mercedes will have sold sponsorship on obtaining access to their drivers. Some businesses will have signed up with the Silver Arrows because Lewis is there, rather than George Russell.
"Perhaps Lewis might be wanting to do fewer days or have fewer commitments? What Lewis will be signing up for goes way beyond him driving at a Grand Prix.
"It is about what rights he retains in terms of his image, and what rights he sells to the team. Mercedes are buying more than just Lewis' driving services. They are buying his promotional image and his PR image."
Coulthard had also sent a warning to Hamilton, in case the 38-year-old was considering retirement from the sport. The Scot reminded his fellow Brit that, as much as a full F1 season can be draining, any racer is a long time retired.
He added: "Lewis has had an incredible journey in life, with his achievements on the track and his exposure off it. He has got a very healthy view of how it is being Lewis Hamilton – the Formula 1 driver that goes from country to country – and Lewis Hamilton – the individual, the personality, the celebrity.
"But none of those personality-driven events he goes to will ever give him the adrenaline buzz he gets from racing a Formula 1 car. Very few things in life will ever give him that feeling so when the time does arrive for him to retire, he has to be certain he is ready to stop."