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 Motorsport 
Wednesday, June 07 2023
Just needs half an hour: Hamilton, Mercedes to hold contract talks that will shape F1

Lewis Hamilton could renew his Mercedes contract as soon as this week after scoring a morale-boosting podium at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Hamilton is the sport’s biggest unsigned name for 2024 and has been subject to speculation in recent years that he could call time on his F1 career before his 39th birthday next January.

Reports in the British tabloids last month also suggested he could be contemplating a big-money offer from Ferrari, though both Hamilton and Maranello team strenuously denied any talks had taken place.

Hamilton has said repeatedly over the last year that he intends to stick with Mercedes and that he hopes to remain with the team in some capacity for life.

Speaking on Sunday night after finishing second at the Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton said he was set for another contract meeting with team boss Toto Wolff this week to thrash out the final details.

“I haven’t signed anything yet, but I think we’re meeting with Toto [on Monday], so hopefully we can get something done,” he said.

Last week Hamilton said he would have a new deal finalised “hopefully in the coming weeks”, and when the paddock could expect an update, Wolff told Sky Sports that the finishing touches on a new contract wouldn’t take long.

“I think we just need time to sit over coffee,” he said. “That’s going to take half an hour.”

Though a deal would appear close, Hamilton cautioned against expecting an imminent announcement.

“It wasn’t a subtle hint,” he said. “We’ve had so many meetings. It’s just another one of the meetings that we’re having.”

Hamilton is no stranger to drawn-out contract negotiations. The Briton allowed a previous contract to lapse for five months at the start of 2021 before agreeing to his current deal, having raced on a temporary extension in the interim.

Though his status in the sport affords him the most security of any driver in the paddock, Hamilton said putting pen to paper would nonetheless be a source of mental relief.

“You can see today my results [that] my performance is not affected by [negotiations], but it’s always something that’s at the back of your mind, so once that’s done, then you’re able to then focus more and think about the future,” he said.

“I’m working as hard as I can with this team and I see so much strength within the team. I think they’re still so hungry.

“On the podium today it was really, really, really special to be able to see … the excitement in all the people that I’ve worked with such a long time.

“There’ll be a great energy within the office, but these guys will take two seconds to enjoy themselves and be happy and then they’ll be back down into the books and trying to figure out how we can win the next race.

“That’s what I love about them.”

The 103-time race winner experienced the first winless season of his career last year, and Mercedes seems no closer to regular victories on merit in 2023.

But Hamilton said he was buoyed by the progress made with the team’s concept-changing upgrade package introduced in the last fortnight and was hopeful for the future at Mercedes.

“For me, definitely it’s the best the car’s been the past year and a half, so that’s kudos to the amazing group of people we have back at the factory who continue to work hard and push the car forward,” he said.

“It felt the best this weekend; it felt the best yesterday and today than it’s felt for the past 14, 15 months.

“That’s super encouraging I think not only for me but for everybody in the team.

“This will be a big boost for everybody’s morale, and we’re going to take that energy on to developing the car.”

 

Posted by: AT 01:37 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
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