Toto Wolff admitted that he would understand if Lewis Hamilton were to consider leaving Mercedes for a Formula 1 rival.
Hamilton is 38 years old and desperate for an eighth world title before he retires from the sport. He has been loyal to the Mercedes team, where he has enjoyed so much of his F1 success, but the Silver Arrows are not currently in a position to fight for the title.
With time not on Hamilton's side, it has been suggested he could look to join a rival team better placed to challenge for the championship. While the Brit has played down such talk, team principal Wolff says he would hold "no grudge" against the racer if he were to consider his options.
"I don't think Lewis will leave Mercedes," the Austrian told reporters in Jeddah on Friday. "He's at the stage of his career where we trust each other and we have formed a great bond among each other. We have no reason to doubt each other even though this is a difficult spell.
"It will be so nice when we come out of this valley of tears and come back to solid performances. As a driver, nevertheless, if he wants to win another championship he needs to make sure that he has the car.
"And if we cannot demonstrate that we're able to give him a car in the next couple of years, then he needs to look everywhere. I don't think he's at that stage, but I will have no grudge if that happens in a year or two."
Hamilton's current contract expires at the end of this season. For many months there has been an expectation that an extension is little more than a formality, though Wolff's words might be a hint that a new deal might not be as much of a sure thing as it once was.
Reacting to the team boss' words, Sky Sports pundit Damon Hill questioned where Hamilton would go if he were to leave. "He said a couple of years, so that's not that much of a pressure statement, is it?" said the 1996 world champion.
"He's expecting that they'll come to an agreement for next year with Lewis. Where else would he go? You don't want to go somewhere that's not as good as Mercedes. At the moment there's only one team you want to be with, and that's Red Bull."
