Wolff: Money wasn't a sticking point in new Hamilton contract

Toto Wolff has insisted there were no issues regarding money in Lewis Hamilton's new one-year contract with Mercedes.

Negotiations went on longer than anyone would have expected with the 2021 Formula 1 season less than two months away, but it wasn't because the seven-time world champion was attempting to squeeze more money out of his employers, especially in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.

"Lewis has always recognised that this is a very difficult period," Wolff told select members of the press, including RacingNews 365.com. "Difficult for everybody from a health point of view and that is a much more important topic than Formula 1 racing. Also, the auto industry is in a transformation phase, so the money topic wasn't a sticking point. It was more about let us get going quickly for 2021."

And although there's no denying Hamilton is well compensated for his services behind the wheel, according to the Austrian team boss, both parties have always approached contract talks from a similar starting point.

"In terms of the contract, of course I'm not going to go into detail, but we have always been quite aligned with what the other side would expect," the 49-year-old added. "And then because he has this helicopter perspective on the wider world, from a health standpoint and also from an economic standpoint, he knew that, even though he has delivered on his side, there is an economic reality out there that is important to respect."