Lewis Hamilton is currently bounded with Mercedes till 2023. However, both parties are keen on extending the contract ahead of the new F1 season starting in March.
The initial information from the paddock comes that Hamilton is set to have a bumper deal with the Silver Arrows that may not secure his F1 career for over a decade, but he could be their brand ambassador for them till then.
His new deal can make him filthy rich by amassing him $76 million a year. With this, the Briton is certainly not going anywhere from F1 anytime soon.
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Toto Wolff denies Lewis Hamilton isn’t begging for a new contract
According to GrandPrix.com, one of the reports by Auto Motor und Sport, Hamilton is ‘begging’ for a new contract amidst the rise of George Russell in Mercedes, who outperformed his compatriot in last year’s standings.
“I don’t see it that way at all,” Wolff denies the claim made by the report. “I said early on that Lewis would always have a seat with us. A decision is always discussed between us, and Lewis would be the first to say if he’s not enjoying it anymore or thinks he has deficits.”
Wolff adds that his team is keen to continue with Hamilton for the next season and probably in the years after. Therefore, they are negotiating a deal accordingly.
8th is on the cards
The Mercedes superstar in the last decade has got massive success with the Silver Arrows. So much that he stands at par with Michael Schumacher in terms of titles won.
But for the last two years, he hasn’t got to lift another title, which could have allowed him to overtake his Mercedes predecessor. Nevertheless, with Mercedes aiming to get back at the top, he is keen to take the eighth title.
Lewis Hamilton was told that no driver had ever won a race after his 300th start.
His response: pic.twitter.com/KiG4RgHIFJ
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) January 24, 2023
It remains to be seen whether he’ll be able to do it next season. Wolff has already mentioned that the first few races of Mercedes will be consumed in matching Red Bull and Ferrari, as their improvement is yet to hit the ground.
An F1 season is very long, so Mercedes, even if starts gaining massive points a bit late in the season, can still go for the title. But they can’t also take too long.
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