Valtteri Bottas and Toto Wolff are supporting Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. However, they insist Mercedes us about more than Wolff alone.
Wolff joined Mercedes in 2013 and has since overseen the team win six consecutive Drivers' and Constructors' Championships. But the Austrian investor is now weighing up his options with rumours growing stronger that he could walk away from his role.
Hamilton made it clear that Mercedes is about much more than just Toto Wolff and also has shifted from his previous stance.
“We’ve done so much already together in this period of time. I hope he stays because it’s fun working with him, and it’s fun negotiating with him and fun having the up and downs. So I’m truly grateful to Toto and I’ll be fully supportive in whatever he decides to do,” he told the F1 website.
“What you’ve got to remember is that it’s a team of so many people. There’s almost 2,000 people in the team, or something like that. It’s not just down to one person, one individual. So yes, that’s not determining whether or not I stay. I think what we’ve built… I’ve been a part of growing with this team and growing with that growth. The strength is there through and through, so as I said, it’s not just one individual. I think everyone has to do what’s best for them, what’s best for their career and happiness, at the end of the day.”
Meanwhile, Bottas said that he would certainly sign a new Mercedes deal even if Wolff wasn't there.
“We’ve done so much already together in this period of time. I hope he stays because it’s fun working with him, and it’s fun negotiating with him and fun having the up and downs. So I’m truly grateful to Toto and I’ll be fully supportive in whatever he decides to do,” he told the F1 website.
“What you’ve got to remember is that it’s a team of so many people. There’s almost 2,000 people in the team, or something like that. It’s not just down to one person, one individual. So yes, that’s not determining whether or not I stay. I think what we’ve built… I’ve been a part of growing with this team and growing with that growth. The strength is there through and through, so as I said, it’s not just one individual. I think everyone has to do what’s best for them, what’s best for their career and happiness, at the end of the day.”
Source: planetf1