Wolff: No talk of driver veto clause in Hamilton contract negotiations

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has firmly denied claims Lewis Hamilton demanded a driver veto during discussions over his latest Formula 1 contract.

On Monday, Mercedes ended the saga surrounding Hamilton’s future by announcing the Briton had re-signed with the team for 2021.

Prior to a deal being agreed, speculation surfaced that the reason behind the delay was due to Hamilton wanting a veto to avoid being partnered with another top-line driver.

There was also suggestions both parties were far apart regarding a potential revenue share, but Wolff was clear neither story was accurate.

“On the specific clauses that were out there in the media, I don’t know where they came from because none of that is true,” Wolff told media, as quoted by Motorsport.com.

“I actually read about this, and I found it interesting, but the truth is that there was not one second of discussion about any driver specific clause. He has never asked for that in the last eight years. And it’s a team decision.

“And the other clause about a revenue share. That came out of nowhere. That rumour was baseless, too. So none of that was ever part of our discussions.”

While Hamilton signing a new contract was seen as a formality, Mercedes revealing a one-year deal was a major surprise.

It has already fuelled talk that 2021 could prove Hamilton’s last season in F1, as he targets a record-breaking eighth world championship.

Wolff explained the reasoning behind the single-season contract, saying talks over a longer-term deal were put on hold after they both contracted coronavirus.

“We jointly agreed on a one-year deal,” Wolff said. “First of all, there is a substantial regulation change in 2022. We also want to see how the world develops, and the company. Plus on the other side, it’s because we kept it very late.

“We wanted to discuss the contract at the end of the season between the Bahrain races and then obviously, Lewis didn’t feel well. And in the end, we started our conversation, just before Christmas.

“So it was important to get it done as soon as possible. And in that respect, we thought, let’s postpone the discussion about 2022 and onwards to a later stage in 2021.”