Mercedes have no backup plan in place for a situation in which Lewis Hamilton decides to retire from Formula 1 at the end of the year.
The seven-time world champion's current contract expires this season. An extension looked to be little more than a formality over the winter with both Hamilton and team boss Toto Wolff publicly declaring their desire to agree to fresh terms.
But no new deal materialised, with the racer globetrotting in his time off and Mercedes focussed on their development of the W14. When it became clear at the Bahrain season-opener that they were not competitive with Red Bull again, all contract talks were put on hold.
At the Saudi race weekend, Hamilton admitted he was "miserable" over trying and failing to connect with the car and, in Melbourne, complained about the seating position – not an easy issue to fix. Those difficulties have led to the suggestions that he might quit reappearing.
Wolff is still very keen to get Hamilton to commit to a new contract – so much so that he admits to not even having considered what he would do if the Brit walked away. "I think it may sound naïve, but I really struggle to think of a Plan B, if my Plan A is still the one that is my favourite," he told Motorsport.com.
"I don't want to engage in discussions with other drivers, because I'm happy with the ones that are in the team, that's for sure. At the moment, there is no Plan B. It's Lewis."
Leaving it late would put Mercedes in a tricky position, if other drivers who become available have already signed elsewhere. But Wolff trusts Hamilton enough to be certain that he will not be left in the lurch by his driver.
The Austrian added: "I think that he would tell us early enough. I don't think that Lewis would say: 'I can't do this any more. I'm out of here tomorrow.'
"He would always feel the responsibility for the team. He wouldn't leave the team alone. Drivers can always take decisions [like that], but he wouldn't let us down. But then, I think if you believe that you're a team that is attractive for others, you will find solutions."
