No urgency on Hamilton and Bottas contracts, says Mercedes chief Wolff

London, July 3: Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas are only contracted to Mercedes until the end of the season, but team principal Toto Wolff says there is "no urgency" to agree to new deals.

Six-time Formula One champion Hamilton is in his eighth year with Mercedes and is reportedly demanding an extension worth £40million per year to remain with the team.

Bottas' future remains a source uncertainty with four-time title winner Sebastian Vettel still without a seat for 2021 after agreeing to leave Ferrari at the end of this season.

Asked why there had been no contract announcements for Hamilton or Bottas, Wolff said: "It's based on the fact that we haven't seen each other a lot.

"We have been keeping the discussion up. We are in a position of trust with both of the drivers, and you could say in Formula One it doesn't mean a lot, but it does in our team.

"I guess that we will do the next steps soon, but I don't want to commit to timing, because I don't want to answer questions every single race weekend about why the contracts are not done.

"There's no urgency in the matter. All of us want to do it, and when the time is right, we will announce it."

With the delayed F1 season getting under way this weekend, Hamilton and Bottas ensured there was a Mercedes one-two in the first free practice session at the Red Bull Ring on Friday.