F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Contract Update - "Trivial Things"
As the end of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes contract approaches in a few months, fans and other stakeholders are concerned about the delay in the extension of his contract. Despite the British driver's and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff's claims that a new contract is coming soon, speculations have given rise to several doubts in the minds of many.
Adding to the doubts are rumours about Ferrari approaching Hamilton for a seat next year. However, Formula 1 correspondent Lawrence Barretto throws light on the matter that a contract extension is imminent. He said on the Formula 1 website:
“The best seat still technically available for 2024 sits at Mercedes alongside George Russell – but in reality it’s a matter of when, rather than if, Lewis Hamilton finally puts pen to paper to keep it in his possession and extend his stay at the Silver Arrows.
“Neither Mercedes boss Toto Wolff nor Hamilton appear stressed by the amount of time it is taking to get a new deal over the line. They’ve both said that the key terms – including money and length of the arrangement – have been agreed.
"It’s just, as Wolff puts it, ‘trivial things that need to be cleaned up’ in the contract before it all gets signed off.
“Hamilton has left it late to sign a new deal in the past. It wasn’t until the eve of pre-season in 2021 that he inked a one-year extension to race in that upcoming campaign. Just six months later, he penned a new two-year deal, taking him up to the end of 2023.
"The 38-year-old reckons he can race on for at least another five years, the Briton believing he still has what it takes to win a record eighth World Championship."
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Barretto also adds that Hamilton has been a part of the "Mercedes family" since his karting days and it is most likely that he would continue his career with the Silver Arrows. He said:
“And having spent his whole career with the Mercedes family, from backing in karting to making his F1 debut with the Mercedes-powered McLaren team to spending the last decade with the works outfit, it’s more than likely he’ll continue with the Silver Arrows for the foreseeable.”
Currently, Hamilton's goal would be to secure and maintain third place in the championship standing. The 38-year-old is aware that his time in Formula 1 is limited so Mercedes faces a mountainous task to deliver him a car that is able to compete with the Red Bulls.