Mercedes will wait for a "quiet time over the winter" to sit down with Lewis Hamilton to discuss the Briton's future in Formula 1 and beyond.
Hamilton's current contract with Mercedes will expire at the end of 2023, but the seven-time world champion, despite a massively challenging and so far winless campaign, has given every indication that he will remain on the grid well beyond next year.
But any new deal with Mercedes, while it may include provisions for an open end as far as Hamilton's racing career is concerned, will also cover his involvement with the German manufacturer after F1.
©Mercedes
Earlier this month Hamilton said that he planned on staying with Mercedes "for the rest of my life". So upcoming talks this winter between the two parties will also address his perennial affiliation with the brand.
"We haven’t started having talks," explained Wolff in Mexico last weekend.
"We want to definitely finish the season and then find some quiet time over the winter like we have done last time around, that literally started in the winter holidays and lasted over two months.
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"We haven’t done that.
"But he’s much more than a driver to us now. Although we’re not talking about a career end, it’s also important to speak about his role as an ambassador for Mercedes and the many sponsors that we have, and the implication he can have in our wider audience."
Hamilton's allegiance to Mercedes isn't just rooted in the remarkable success the Briton has enjoyed with the Brackley squad since 2014.
It's a deep sense of belonging and loyalty that began during Hamilton's formative years in the sport, when his early efforts in karting were supported by Mercedes AMG.
Hamilton has only raced for two teams in Formula 1, McLaren and Mercedes, and has always been powered by the latter.
"It really is my family: Mercedes-Benz is my family," he said. "They've stuck with me through thick and thin.
"They stuck with me through being expelled at school. They stuck with me through everything that was going on through 2020. They've stuck with me through my mistakes, and shit that's been in the press; they've stuck with me through the ups and downs.
"I really believe in this brand. I believe in the people that are within the organisation. And I want to be the best teammate I can be to them, because I think we can make the brand even better, more accessible, even stronger than it is. And I think I can be an integral part of that."
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