Toto Wolff has insisted that his comments about Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes have been taken out of context.

In a new book, Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane, Wolff said that Hamilton’s decision to leave the team was a positive thing.

He was quoted as saying: “We’re in a sport where cognitive sharpness is extremely important and I believe everyone has a shelf life.”

Reflecting on those comments ahead of this weekend’s race in Las Vegas, Wolff said: “You know that was taken a little bit out of context.

“What I was referring to was that all of us age, whether it is in a car, on a pitch, or as a manager or entrepreneur.

“I think we see with Lewis that he’s very much there when the car is right.

“We haven’t been able to give him that car to perform his best, and that is a frustration that we share equally in the team, and for himself, but he’s very sharp.

“He’s different to when he was a 20-year-old, that’s certainly clear, but his experience and his race craft is tremendous.”