Mercedes driver lineup for 2024 is 'far too early' to speculate, feels team boss Toto Wolff

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has admitted that he is not currently focused on the Silver Arrows' driver line-up for 2024 amid Lewis Hamilton's expiring contract situation.

The seven-time world champion's current deal expires at the end of the 2023 campaign. While there have been rumblings about a new contract, nothing has been signed just yet.

Wolff feels it is too early to be talking about who will be driving for the team next year as Mercedes are more preoccupied with returning to contention.

In an interview with Sky Sports after the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP, the Austrian said:

“I think it’s not the point to talk about the driver situation in 2024. That is far too early. We need all to all push in the same directions, the drivers, the engineers, all of us, management. Rather than like what I said, throwing in the towel, we’re not doing that. We never have done that and we will not be doing that.”

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Lewis Hamilton is an 'integral part' of Mercedes, claims team principal Toto Wolff

Toto Wolff has reiterated that Lewis Hamilton is an integral member of the Mercedes team and that their relationship has a lot of value.

Hamilton is currently in his 11th season with the Silver Arrows, tied with Michael Schumacher for most campaigns with a single team.

However, it has not been all smooth sailing for the Briton, who ended the 2022 campaign without a single win or pole position. This hasn't happened to Hamilton since his F1 debut back in 2007.

Wolff underlined Hamilton's importance to Mercedes during the aforementioned interview with Sky Sports when he said:

“I think he’s an integral part of the team, picking the team up and we’re all sticking together. And I don’t think that’s going to change just because we had a start another start that was really bad. We won eight Constructors’ Championships and we won six Drivers’ Championships with him. That relationship holds."

Hamilton could be in line to ink a deal with the Silver Arrows worth a staggering £62 million ($74.6 million) a season, as per reports. This will make him the highest-paid driver on the grid.

However, former world champion Damon Hill believes the 38-year-old is waiting to assess the team's competitive edge before committing his future to them.