Paris (AFP)

If Mercedes "focuses on discussions with its current drivers", the Formula 1 team intends to "keep (its) options open" on the transfer market for 2021, especially concerning Sebastian Vettel, said his boss Toto Wolff Wednesday.

"We owe it to a four-time world champion not to close the door for him immediately," said Wolff, speaking of the German who will leave Ferrari in late 2020 during a video conference. "But we have a fantastic driver duo (Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, editor's note) which I am very happy with, as is George (Russell, Mercedes driver hired by Williams, editor's note)."

"You can never know. One of them can decide that he does not want to run anymore and suddenly you have a place to fill," continued the man who experienced the surprise retirement of German Nico Rosberg at the end of 2016. "This is why we keep our options open even if, of course, we focus on discussions with our current pilots."

Regarding Hamilton more specifically, Wolff indicated that the renegotiation of his contract for next season had not started during the confinement following the coronavirus pandemic.

However, he insisted on the "confidence" which linked him to the six-time British world champion. "This is why, when the races resume, we will meet, take the contract out of the boxes, look at the durations, the figures and the rights and I hope that we will have something quickly," assured the Austrian.

The F1 season, which should have started in mid-March in Australia, will finally start on July 5 in Austria, for a series of eight races in Europe until September, followed by extra-European events whose calendar is not still finalized.

"This new calendar and the coronavirus present us with new challenges, commented the manager. Reliability will be fundamental during the first races. The cars leave the containers back from Australia, there is not much time to test them. on the test bench and you will have to use all the sessions on the track to learn. "

"A reduced schedule (less compared to the 22 races originally planned, note) is a challenge for everyone and I think the team with the fastest and most reliable car will win the championship," he predicted. .

© 2020 AFP