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Mercedes welcome old and young options in 2018 for 2019 season

Contracts of both Rosberg and Hamilton will expire at end of 2018

Toto Wolff is relishing the prospect of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg fighting over a single vacancy at Mercedes and has opened up on the options F1's world champions could have at their disposal in the 2018 transfer market.

Hamilton and Rosberg will remain as team-mates for at least another two years after the German signed a new two-year deal ahead of the Hungarian GP.

But with the pair's respective contracts expiring at the end of 2018, it raises the possibility of the duo having to fight it out for a single seat in 2019 if Mercedes seek a younger driver. 

Rosberg's new deal: What does it mean for the driver market?

Sky Sports F1 pundit Paul di Resta described the scenario in which both the contracts of both Hamilton and Rosberg would expire at the same time as a "strange stance".

It's a reaction which Wolff admits he first echoed before being persuaded the advantages outweighed the potential for more discord. 

"That was my first thought - it's better that they're not in sync," Wolff told Sky F1. "But then I found out that maybe it's an interesting option, maybe they'll have more momentum in the last year."

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Hamilton and Rosberg will be aged 33 when their current deals expire. Although neither driver will be necessarily past their sell-by date, their joint longevity may persuade Mercedes to look to the future in 2019 - and Wolff is confident he will not be short of youthful options. 

"It's an interesting time because there's a new generation coming up which is difficult to judge," he said. "[Esteban] Ocon, [Pascal] Wehrlein, [Stoffel]Vandoorne - all these guys and then there are some contracts running out: Vettel, Ricciardo. It leaves a lot of options."

In partnership since 2013, Hamilton and Rosberg will have completed the most races as team-mates in the history of F1 if they remain together until the close of 2018. They have already proved to be one of the most successful pairings in the sport after combining to win two successive title doubles with another poised to follow this year. So while it's conceivable that Mercedes will look for a younger option in 2019, it's far from certain. 

"If it continues in our team as it is now I see no reason to change," acknowledged Wolff, "but it's better to have options than not."

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