Mercedes to use gaps in F1 schedule to finalize Hamilton deal

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says he'll take advantage of the upcoming gaps in F1's hectic schedule to advance talks with Lewis Hamilton over a new deal.

Hamilton's track record this season which includes five wins in eight races has set the Briton on track to win a seventh world title, a feat that would equal the record held by Michael Schumacher.

While both Hamilton and Mercedes have expressed their desire to continue their fruitful association, F1's relentless schedule has left little time for both parties to push a new deal across the line.

"This is a work in progress," said Wolff at Mugello this weekend.

"And I wouldn’t want to commit to a specific date because we get on very well but obviously when it comes down to the detail, you just need enough time to do that.

"With one race after the other, we don’t want to really be distracted by contract talks.

"So, in between the larger gaps like next week, we’re moving towards a satisfactory outcome. But I don’t know when we will announce it."

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Hamilton recently said that he was reluctant to sit at the table with Mercedes and discuss a new contract given the current state of the world, insisting his "heart and spirit" have been weighed down by global events of late.

Wolff says the world's changing environment is also a factor to consider amid the discussions over Hamilton's future.

"Sometimes situations change and the environment changes," said the Austrian. "This is another part of the journey that we want to go together but we’re just debating."

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