'Conflicted' Hamilton rethinks Wolff comments

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Lewis Hamilton admits he now feels "conflicted" over comments he made last week about excluding former F1 team bosses from running the sport.

Last month, speculation emerged that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was being lined up as a potential successor to Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey.

Wolff however has denied the cogitation, insisting he had not contemplated such a move and was 100 percent committed to his employer, Mercedes Benz.

Quizzed after the French Grand Prix on the current state of Grand Prix racing and its future, Hamilton said he viewed Wolff as a brilliant manager, but believed the sport should be managed by an individual whose neutrality could not be called into question.

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"You've got Jean Todt, I know Jean's level, but the fact is he's been with the red team for so long, so surely when he wakes up if there's a red T-shirt and a silver T-shirt, he probably goes for a red one," said Hamilton.

"You know what I mean? Just like I get out of bed, I see 44 or I see number six, I will go for number 44!

"And Toto has been Mercedes through and through for such a long period of time. I don't know if there's anything in that."

Since last Sunday however, Hamilton has given the idea a second thought, realizing the benefits of nominating an insider to the helm

"I’ve been a bit conflicted the last few days after Sunday night," admitted the Brit, speaking on Thursday in Spielberg.

"I haven’t spoken to Toto or to Jean [Todt] but I’ve got a great relationship with Jean.

@Mercedes

"When we did this meeting at the FIA [last week in Paris] he was so welcoming to us as drivers, to the GPDA and really took on board. I think he’s done such a great job since he’s been in position.

"I’m sure someone else will need to take that role and I was thinking after the race, the best person I know for managing a business, I don’t know anybody else better than Toto.

"So, I felt a bit conflicted because I made a comment but I don’t feel like I probably got out exactly what I was meaning.

"Over these past couple of days I was thinking to myself, you know, bringing someone in that doesn’t know much about Formula 1 is not necessarily the right decision and if you look at people like Toto for example, he’s been in two different teams, he’s also been in a different business before.

"If you could see how this company is managed from the top down, I don’t know how he does it. I could never do his job and it’s a good thing he could never do my job as well!"

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.