Toto Wolff dismisses rumours of Mercedes replacing Lewis Hamilton with Sergio Perez as ‘complete bull****’

Red Bull driver Perez was linked with a seat at Mercedes while Hamilton was rumoured to be considering retirement

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has strongly dismissed claims that he has spoken to the likes of Sergio Perez about the prospect of replacing Lewis Hamilton as “complete bull****.”

Hamilton was denied a record-breaking eighth drivers title on the final lap of the 2021 season, missing out to Max Verstapppen in controversial circumstances, and his subsequent retreatal from public viewing sparked claims he was considering retirement.

While that was put to bed when Hamilton stated his intent to return at the 2022 Mercedes launch, a poor start to the season in an under-performing car again fuelled rumours the seven-time champion might not see out the end of his current deal to the end of 2023.

Red Bull’s Perez was one such driver linked but Wolff inisists he never called the Mexican driver and emphasised that he has had conversations with Hamilton about continuing for “maybe five or 10 years.”

“It’s complete bull****”, Wolff said of the Perez to Mercedes rumours, in an interview with Motorsport.com.

Toto Wolff has strongly dismissed claims that he has spoken to the likes of Sergio Perez about the prospect of replacing Lewis Hamilton (Getty Images)

“I never called Sergio, he’s a good guy and I respect him, but I never talked to him and I was not in contact with any other driver.

“Lewis and I, even in the face of a not-so-encouraging scenario like the beginning of this season, we are always aligned in wanting to try to make things better and to be together next year.

“And we’ve been telling each other for a couple of months that we could go on, maybe five or 10 years, right? So none of that is true.”

(AFP via Getty Images)

Wolff has led Mercedes to eight straight constructors’ titles despite the heartache on missing out on the drivers title last season, yet 2022 has been a different story altogether.

Plagued by problems with bouncing and porpoising of their W13 car, Mercedes currently languish third in the Constructors’ Standings after 13 races, 127 points behind Red Bull in first and 30 points behind Ferrari.

Verstappen also has a healthy lead in the Drivers Leaderboard as he closes in on a second title; the 24-year-old is 80 points ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second, with Hamilton sixth.