Mercedes 'owe' Hamilton eighth title - Wolff

Mercedes 'owe' Lewis Hamilton an eighth Formula 1 World Championship, according to boss Toto Wolff as he praised Hamilton's outside interests.

Hamilton was on course to win an eighth title and break the joint-record of seven he holds with Michael Schumacher in 2021, but a late controversial Safety Car restart in Abu Dhabi allowed rival Max Verstappen to pass him on the final lap of the final race to snatch the title.

Since then, Hamilton has not won a race as Mercedes have struggled through the first year-and-a-half of the ground effects era, with Verstappen set to claim a third title sometime later this season.

Hamilton has said he won't retire until he claims his eighth crown, with Wolff keen to deliver it for the 103-time Grand Prix winner.

Wolff's vow

Speaking in Downing Street after a meeting with F1 chief Stefano Domenicali, the bosses of the seven UK-based F1 teams Secretary of State for the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport, Lucy Frazer, and advisors to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Wolff made clear his intentions.

"Lewis Hamilton is clearly the most important personality in our sport, he is so multi-dimensional," he said.

"It is not only the racing driver and World Champion but he is also trailblazing for diversity and sustainability.

"There are no limits for Lewis Hamilton as an entrepreneur as a politician. I think he is one of the most spectacular personalities and characters I've ever met.

"We owe him an eighth championship."

Domenicali added that he agreed with Wolff's assessment of Hamilton's "incredible personality and that have has shown he raises up the power of interests in a lot of topics."

Hamilton has become heavily involved in trying to raise diversity and inclusion within F1, motorsport and engineering as a whole through initiatives such as Mission 44 and The Hamilton Commission.