Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, all eyes have been on Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton’s contract runs out at the end of this year and all his fans have been awaiting a contract extension.
However, much to everyone’s disappointment, there has been no significant update on the same. The Briton acknowledged that while he had made progress with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, there was “nothing else to say at the moment“.
The 38-year-old’s contract talks were undoubtedly going to take center stage after Wolff revealed in an interview that the two parties are very close to coming to an agreement. While speaking to CNBC, the 51-year-old said, “We are talking more days than weeks“. In the same interview, Wolff added that the hurdle between the two parties has been money.
According to a report issued by The Sun, Mercedes will need to pay him at least a whopping $63,000,000 a year if they are to persuade him to stay. Amid Hamilton’s contract talks, there have also been rumors that if the Silver Arrows do not offer the Briton a lucrative enough deal, he could consider moving to Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton says “nothing new to add” for his contract talks
While answering questions during his press conference about his contract talks with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, Lewis Hamilton answered (as quoted by deni), “I’ve seen Toto. We’ve talked several times. We have a great relationship, but there’s nothing else to say at the moment“.
#CanadianGP 🇨🇦: Lewis Hamilton on his contract talks:
“I’ve seen Toto, we’ve talked several times, we have a great relationship but there’s nothing else to say at the moment.”
He confirms that progress was made but it’s “nothing new to really add to it.”
— deni (@fiagirly) June 15, 2023
The Briton then added that while the two parties had made progress, there was still no substantial development. As Hamilton’s contract talks continue to linger on, more and more speculations and rumors continue to grow around this situation.
Two-time F1 world champion Mika Häkkinen is the latest to give his take on Hamilton’s contract situation. While giving his mid-season analysis to his sponsor, Unibet, Häkkinen said, “I know Lewis’ head is not 100% in racing anymore. It’s completely normal“.
⚪️✨ pic.twitter.com/SFcBYs0l5A
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) June 4, 2023
Häkkinen seemed to suggest that Hamilton is more motivated by money now and that he is likely to have lost the desire to race at the highest level with more and younger drivers emerging. It is no surprise that such speculations and rumors continue to rise, as it has been unusual that Hamilton has taken so long to agree to a contract extension.
Wolff finds discussing contract terms with Hamilton “awkward“
On several occasions previously, Toto Wolff has explained how he finds it extremely “awkward” to discuss contract terms with Lewis Hamilton. While speaking to ESPN about the topic of discussing numbers with the Briton, Wolff said, “It’s super awkward“.
The Austrian explained his point by adding, “It’s like negotiating financial terms with your best friend, with a close friend“. Wolff said that while his interests align with Hamilton in almost all aspects, this is perhaps one of the few areas where their interests do not match.
Wolff said that what he is looking for is the best for the team, while Hamilton wants the best deal. As these contract rumors are unlikely to die down anytime soon, it remains to be seen whether the two parties can come to terms or not. Rumors have suggested that Mercedes could offer a one-year contract with the possibility of a one-year extension.
