"It's a complete bullsh*t"- Toto Wolff shuts down rumors of Sergio Perez replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in future F1 seasons

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has quashed rumors that there were discussions about Lewis Hamilton's replacement being aligned by the team earlier in the season. With the seven-time world champion's contract expiring at the end of the 2023 F1 season and with George Russell proving his mettle at the front of the field, there were suggestions in the media that Wolff had had discussions with Red Bull's Sergio Perez to replace Hamilton in the future.

While speaking to the Italian edition of motorsport.com, the Mercedes team principal revealed that there had been no such discussions. He said:

"I've never called Sergio, he's a good guy and I respect him, but I've never talked to him and haven't been in contact with any other rider. Lewis and I, even in the face of a less encouraging scenario like the start of this season, we are always aligned in wanting to try to improve things and in wanting to be together next year. And for a couple of months we have been telling each other that we could go on, maybe five or 10 years, right? So none of this is true"

Wolff also pointed out one key characteristic of Hamilton that he found remarkable. He spoke about how Lewis Hamilton, despite having an uncompetitive car this season, was still one of the most positive characters in the team and was always providing positive reinforcement within the team. He said:

"At the beginning, as for all of us, it was not easy to accept reality, it is certainly not a pleasant experience. But after the first few races he got his very special spirit back, he was totally focused on getting this car to the top, and even when we went through very difficult days, he was always the most positive person in the team"

---

Toto Wolff believes Lewis Hamilton could win 10 titles if given the right car

Toto Wolff admits he understands how disappointing it would have been for Lewis Hamilton to miss out on making history. If he had won the title last season, he would have held the record of winning eight world championships. Wolff, however, was more optimistic in this regard as he backed Lewis Hamilton to win not just eight but ten titles in his career if he has the right car under him. The Mercedes team principal said:

"Of course, he would have been the only rider to hold this record, but I think he can be equally proud of having seven titles like Michael, I think this milestone is also very historic and important. But the goal is to get back to having the right performance soon, and if we return to providing Lewis with a good car, why just think of eight world titles? Why not ten?"

It will be interesting to see what kind of comeback Hamilton and Mercedes can mount in the future, since Red Bull and Max Verstappen hold an advantage over the rest of the grid for the time being.