Weeks ahead of the launch of the car that could carry Mercedes to its fifth successive constructors' title and Lewis Hamilton to his fifth drivers' crown, thereby equalling the record of another Mercedes driver, Juan Manuel Fangio, the Briton has yet to agree a new deal for 2019 and beyond.

Hamilton is one of a number of drivers whose current contract runs out at the end of the season - including teammate Valtteri Bottas - and while it is understandable the German team wants the Briton's signature on the dotted line as soon as possible, Wolff remains confident that agreement is not far way.

“The discussions are ongoing in a very positive mind-set," he said in an interview for his team's website, "and it's just a matter of time when we seal it and put a signature to the document.”

“Lewis has become such an important pillar within the team that it's a no-brainer that we continue with each other,” he added.

Revealing that the car was on the verge of being fired up for the first time, the Austrian, when asked how confident he feels following a slightly tougher time of it in 2017, said: "We've had a good winter, I would say. No real drama, but there is always stress within the organisation at that time of the year.”

Ironically, just 24 hours after F1 announced that grid girls would no longer be used at races, as they do not "resonate with" F1's "brand values" and are "clearly at odds with modern day societal norms", Wolff was pictured in front of a Mercedes poster which featured a picture of a grid girl sporting 'P1' on her lollipop (don't go there!).

The team subsequently admitting that it had been "busted" when we pointed the fact out to them on Twitter.