Formula 1 news - Lewis Hamilton to open contract talks with Mercedes

Last month, Hamilton had rejected speculation that he was in talks with the team via a post - later deleted - on Instagram.

"FYI (Team principal) Toto (Wolff) and I have not even spoken about contract yet," he wrote. "Nothing is being negotiated currently, papers making up stories."

Wolff has now suggested, however, that as the 35-year-old returns to Europe ready for pre-season testing, they will begin to discuss the future.

"We have technical meetings and we have the shakedown on Friday," reports have quoted him as saying.

"We have six days testing in Barcelona and then there is plenty of time to sit down.

"But I am not stressed out about not having a signature on the dotted line. It just means that we have not come to the conclusion of our discussions but I am pretty optimistic that we will."

Hamilton had been linked with a possible move to rivals Ferrari, who confirmed the six-times world champion had met with their chairman socially, nothing more.

"I love where I am so it’s definitely not a quick decision to go do something else,” Hamilton said at the end of the 2019 season.

"But of course it’s only smart and wise for me to sit and think of what I want, if it is the last period or stage in my career."