Lewis Hamilton contract: Mercedes driver demands £40 million/year deal

Lewis Hamilton’s contract expires at the end of the 2020 season and according to reports he is demanding a whopping £40 million/year.

Lewis Hamilton has reportedly suggested a figure of £40million-a-year to Mercedes for a new deal. His current contract expires in at the end of this season.

According to the Daily Mail,  Hamilton wants the deal to be improved from the existing £36million-a-year.

With the season finally starting in Austria, this weekend,  Mercedes are expected to chalk out a deal with their most successful driver in F1. They are expected to follow suit with Valtteri Bottas, whose deal expires in 2020 too.

Red Bull boss spoke on the Lewis Hamilton contract situation

Red Bull boss Helmut Marko has given his views on the Hamilton-Mercedes contract issue. He has suggested Mercedes‘ sponsors could help with the new deal to Hamilton. If this goes through, it will ensure he remains the highest-paid driver on the F1 grid.

“Someone else will pay it,” Marko is quoted by grandpx.news.

“Petronas only has to transfer a little less to the team and send it to Hamilton instead.

“But a limit on the driver salary is essential.

“Of course we still have to fulfil the current contracts, but we must do something in this area as soon as possible.”

“Hamilton to Ferrari a possibility”

Legendary F1 pundit Martin Brundle believes that Hamilton could move to Ferrari as soon as 2022. The Italian outfit, on their part, have replaced Sebastian Vettel with McLaren’s Carlos Sainz for 2021.

Moreover, almost every legendary F1 driver has donned the Ferrari racesuit, and with Hamilton entering the last phase of his career, he would love to have Ferrari on his CV as well.

“I doubt Sainz has got anything locked down in terms of anything beyond one season,” Brundle told Sportsmail.

“If Toto left Mercedes and they rowed back a bit with the global pandemic issues and cost cuts coming in F1, the whole scene is changing, then I think Hamilton’s mind might have to turn again to have a look at Ferrari. I would if I was him.

“I’ve spoken to him about being dressed in red and standing on that podium at Monza and looking at the crowd in Ferrari overalls. He said ‘I love red, I’ve got red in my crash helmet, it’s the colour of passion’ but his stock answer was ‘I’ve raced for Mercedes all of my F1 career.’

“Think about it commercially, he can be an ambassador forever for that company so it would be a lot to walk away from.”

Also read: The four homes Lewis Hamilton calls it his own