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Wolff tests positive for COVID as Hamilton talks continue

Toto Wolff says he recently tested positive for COVID-19, undergoing in Kitzbuhel a mandatory quarantine period that the Mercedes F1 boss has now completed.

Fortunately, Wolff was not impacted by the coronavirus.

"We planned to stay for some days in Kitzbuhel, then out of nowhere I had a positive Covid test," he told Austria's ORF. "So we quarantined ourselves for 10 days here.

"Thankfully no symptoms, because it can also go badly, but we are now out of quarantine."

The 49-year-old's predicament follows COVID-19 cases reported recently by Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, both of whom have also completed their mandatory quarantine periods.

While in isolation in Kitzbuhel, Wolff conducted more contract talks with Lewis Hamilton on Zoom, revealing that a final deal between team and driver shall be finalized "at some point".

"As is the case with negotiations, you come from different corners, it's quite normal," he said.

"We have a solid basis in our relationship, we have enjoyed great success and we want to continue that but sometimes you have to talk things out and that took us some time or is still going on. But before Bahrain at the latest we have to sign something."

Wolff said that Mercedes lawyers were "working hard", dealing with the ongoing contractual changes.

"Of course we don't make life easy for them when we both keep on discussing like crazy over Zoom and keep sending curveballs to the lawyers," Wolf said.

"But he [Hamilton] is now in the US and I am here and at some point we will finalise it."

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Michael Delaney

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