Toto Wolff joins Lewis Hamilton's calls for more diversity in F1

Hamilton called on the sport to encourage more participation from a wider range of ethnic backgrounds in a video posted to Instagram on Thursday

Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has backed his star driver's demand for greater diversity in Formula One.

Hamilton called on the sport to encourage more participation from a wider range of ethnic backgrounds in a video posted to Instagram on Thursday.

The defending champion recorded the 15-second video from his Mercedes team's hospitality suite of a number of people in the paddock, and accompanied the clip with the words: "There's barely any diversity in F1. Still nothing's changed in 11 years I've been here."

Hamilton, who was fastest in both practice sessions in Melbourne on Friday, is F1's first and only black driver.

And Mercedes executive director Wolff - whose wife and former Williams reserve driver Susie has established the 'Dare to be Different' campaign which encourages more women to take part in motor racing - agrees that more needs to be done.

"The more diversity we can get into Formula One, the better it is," Wolff said. "We had an event here where we launched 'Dare to be Different' in Australia and that was a good success.

"Whether it is different ethnic backgrounds, or getting girls into motor racing, this is what needs to happen.

"More diversity in the paddock would do us good, make us think differently and help us be more open-minded. This will grow and the balance will be better in the future."

Hamilton, who is this year bidding to win his fifth world championship, is due to put pen to paper on a new Mercedes contract which will see him earn up to £40million a year.

Hamilton is hoping to hit the ground running in Melbourne (Getty)

Mercedes hoped to get the deal over the line before this week's season-opener, but Wolff revealed on Friday that both parties were still putting the finishing touches on the extension.

"The contract discussions are going in the right way and we are finalising the last topics," Wolff added. "There is no reason to think it is not going to happen soon.

"Lewis is in a good frame of mind and he has come back strong from the winter break."