“There’s still some life in this old dog” – A two-year contract is expected to be put on the table for Lewis Hamilton by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
The inevitable Mercedes contract extension of Lewis Hamilton is set to begin early, unlike last season. The reigning champion driver has expressed confidence that the contract agreement can be wrapped up quickly, without comprising his push for a record 8th title this season.
“There’s still some life in this old dog. Hopefully soon we can start, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the actual job. We still have 19 races to do but it would be great to get something in place before the break so then we could be in that break and have a clear picture of the future.
“We never want to be in the position that we were in January, in February. It ruined my whole winter and I’m sure it wasn’t helpful for Toto’s, in terms of being able to be off and relaxed, so it felt like we didn’t really have much of a break.”
Wolff pushing for multi-year agreement
It is no secret Toto Wolff is a massive fan of Hamilton, and unlike the single-year deal currently in place, he wants the new one to be of more than a year. His rationale is sound, with contract discussions every season taking a toll on the team’s preparation.
“Yes, it should be [more than a year]. We don’t want to be in a stressful situation every single year where we are absolutely flat-out trying to win races and needing to negotiate. I would rather that doesn’t happen every year.
“We just need to spend a day or two together, put it out there, and decide which are the difficult components. We will then lock the door and won’t walk out until it is sorted. That works best for us and it has worked best for us in the past.”
