Mercedes to announce drivers ’soon’ - Wolff

Toto Wolff says Mercedes will announce its 2019 driver lineup "soon".

It is now widely known that Lewis Hamilton has inked a new two-year deal, and has asked for Valtteri Bottas to be retained for the same 2019-2020 period.

"When will the contracts be done? Soon," team boss Toto Wolff told Corriere della Sera.

"When? Let’s see. We are in the last stages of negotiation.

"There are still some details," he added. "Lewis has become a global brand for us, so it’s all about trademark rights and PR days.

"But the $45 million fee that is being talked about in England? I think some of them were looking for a headline."

Wolff did, however, acknowledge that if Hamilton does re-sign, so too will Bottas.

"The talks with Valtteri run parallel to those with Lewis," he admitted.

"He is a guarantee that even the second car will be driven quickly, and it’s a stability factor as well."