Hamilton deal opens door for departure
LEWIS HAMILTON has finally ended his long-running contract saga with Mercedes, but his boss has hinted the British driver’s new one-year deal may be his last with the team.
After months of negotiations, the world champion finally agreed to stay less than seven weeks before the new campaign gets under way in Bahrain. But Hamilton, who is this season bidding to win an unprecedented eighth world title, and his Mercedes team agreed only on a 12-month extension. Hamilton will be 37 next year and, tellingly, there was no mention of a plus-one option in yesterday’s contract announcement.
Team principal Toto Wolff also admitted Mercedes must acknowledge life after their superstar driver.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, 23, is considered the natural successor to Hamilton’s throne, while Williams’ George Russell, 22, impressed as his Covid-hit countryman’s stand-in at the penultimate round in Bahrain last year.
‘Lewis needs to decide what his future holds for him, so I wouldn’t want to comment on where he stands (in 2022),’ said Wolff.
‘On the other side, the team needs to decide long-term what we are going to do about our drivers. Valtteri (Bottas) and Lewis have our 100 per cent commitment and loyalty for 2021. We will support them with everything we have. We will then look beyond this year and say what is the line-up that we imagine in 2022 and onwards?
‘As long as Lewis enjoys racing he is very capable of going longer. He looks after himself, physically and mentally, so I don’t think in terms of ability that ends in 2021. But in the end, it is his decision.’
Hamilton, whose new deal is believed to match the £40million-a-year he earned under his previous contract, said: ‘I am excited to be heading into my ninth season with my Mercedes team-mates. Our team has achieved incredible things and we look forward to building on our success even further.’