Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff on Thursday expressed hope that seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton will extend his stay with the Silver Arrows beyond the summer.

Hamilton signed a one-year extension in February amid speculation that his time with the team was coming to an end.

“I very much hope so,” Wolff answered when asked if he wanted Hamilton to stay on next season. “The journey that we have had together was very successful. He has been a Mercedes driver – a Mercedes kid since his go-karting years. He never raced a single weekend in Formula 1 without a Mercedes power unit, so it’s the logical continuation of the story.”

The Mercedes team boss noted that he wanted to avoid a similar situation as that witnessed at the end of last season, during which contract talks with Hamilton stalled, only for a deal to be reached weeks to the start of the new season.

Hamilton started the new season on a high after beating off strong challenge from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to win the Bahrain Grand Prix.