Lewis Hamilton is one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, but Nico Rosberg does not think he deserves a $200 million deal.
When Hamilton decided to leave McLaren for Mercedes, many people questioned his decision. The former were doing well and seemingly rising to the top, but Mercedes were new to the sport and their future was uncertain.
Today we all know just how crucial that move was for the F1 history books. Hamilton established himself as an all-time great, winning six World Titles in Brackley. One problem however, which arose after his move to the Silver Arrows was his depreciating relationship with Rosberg.
Rosberg and the Brit were best friends from childhood, but after joining Mercedes and fighting for the Title, they became bitter rivals.
Back in 2015, Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes was put under a lot of scrutiny. It was supposed to end that year, but negotiations for the same were under way. The finances behind his contract on the other hand, did not sit well with Rosberg.
Also read: Lewis Hamilton added $15.6 Million McLaren F1 to his incredible car collection
Lewis Hamilton deserves big money but not $200 million
Ahead of the Chinese GP that year, Hamilton was leading the standings. Rosberg on the other hand was third, 10 points behind his teammate. The German was trying to challenge Hamilton and win his first World Title.
There was a lot of speculation surrounding Hamilton’s contract, and certain rumors emerged which said that the numbers were adding up to $200 million. The person making these negotiations were none other than Hamilton himself.
“I think he deserves a lot of money,” Rosberg said to Spanish newspaper El Mundo while laughing. “But I wouldn’t give him 200 million!”
Hamilton did end up signing his bumper deal in the coming months. He signed a three year deal, worth more than $150 million that made him the most expensive F1 driver of all time.
On track however, Hamilton showed why he deserved so much money. He won the 2015 Title with three races to spare, and won the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Championships as well.
