Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes found each other in the middle of a tricky situation. The Briton’s time with the Silver Arrows is ticking away, and the two sides seem to have an unusual delay in negotiating a new deal.
Hamilton signed a 2-year deal in 2021, extending until the end of the 2023 F1 season. The Mercedes star reportedly earns $49 Million per season as per the new deal, making him the 2nd highest earner on the grid after Max Verstappen.
Hamilton, who is 38 years old, has previously stated his desire to continue racing until his mid-40s. And the Briton has expressed his intention to remain at Mercedes. This makes the delay in signing a new deal look odd.
Jumping onboard with Lewis for his first laps behind the wheel of W14 at Silverstone 🤩🖤 pic.twitter.com/HSGPaEI5GT
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) February 22, 2023
Rumours suggest that Lewis wants to check out the car and see if Mercedes can compete for the Championship. And according to his former teammate Jenson Button, the rumours might be true.
Also Read: Toto Wolff Explains Why He Never Worries About Lewis Hamilton Injuring Himself Away From F1
Lewis Hamilton losing confidence over Mercedes
Jenson Button thinks Lewis Hamilton has doubts regarding how competitive Mercedes’ cars are for the new season. This comes after Mercedes suffered a slump in form during 2022.
Mercedes were nowhere close to the performance of Ferrari and Red Bull. This resulted in Lewis finishing the year without a single win for the first time in his F1 career.
Button reasons, “It has to be the car right? Why else would you leave negotiations this late? Because he knows how annoying we all are. So, we’ve got to ask the question.”
Lewis Hamilton before thirty? 👏
Lewis Hamilton after thirty? 🤯
Will we see him remain in F1 into his 40s? 🤔#F1 #Autosport #LH44 #Mercedes #McLaren pic.twitter.com/2pjR0DEJYI
— Autosport (@autosport) December 11, 2022
By delaying the contract negotiations, Lewis is buying himself time whilst testing the state of the W14. And if the 7-time World Champion is not satisfied then he could even announce his retirement
Button added that “He’s going to hate answering it over and over and over again. It can only be because he’s wondering how competitive they will be.”
Toto Wolff assures Hamilton that contract renewal is going smoothly
Lewis has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Mercedes for over 10 seasons. In the last decade, he has delivered the team 8 consecutive Constructors championship titles and claimed 6 Drivers titles to his name.
Thus, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes Lewis would sign a new deal with the team. But that would depend on how good a car the team can provide him with.
Wolff says, “We would love to see Lewis win an 8th title. But for us it’s more about letting him do what he is best at. If we can provide him with a good car, then there is nothing between him and an 8th title.”
“All is gonna be good” ✅
Toto Wolff says contract talks with Lewis Hamilton are progressing well and he doesn’t foresee any problems ⏳ pic.twitter.com/FekbpKnKUO
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 15, 2023
Wolff assured that the negotiations are going positively. He said, “We have sat down 3 times now. We are just changing a sentence, a word or a number here or there. But it looks good.”
Lewis would embark on his 11th season with Mercedes this season. Rumours suggest the Brit is looking for a major pay bump as he enters the twilight years of his racing career.
Also Read: Toto Wolff Is Convinced The Mercedes W14 Can Deliver Lewis Hamilton His 8th Championship Win
