Lewis Hamilton contract update - Toto Wolff reveals the plan
The 38-year-old is currently contracted for one more season but talks are set to begin to extend his stay with Mercedes.
"As for contract discussions, we have a full year to go," team principal Wolff said.
"We are so aligned - in the last 10 years our relationship has grown.
"It's just a matter of him physically being back in Europe, sticking our heads together, wrestling a bit, and then leaving the room with white smoke after a few hours.”
Hamilton has long sat at No1 in the list of F1 driver salaries and that is set to continue.
Hamilton has been in Antarctica and Los Angeles over the past few weeks during the F1 offseason.
Mercedes are set to launch their 2023 car on February 16, hoping it gives Hamilton the chance to fight for an all-time record eighth F1 championship.
He has watched arch-rival Max Verstappen claim the past two titles.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
