F1 ace Lewis Hamilton and his team Mercedes still keep the curiosity of the fans and the media going up and up about their future together. Apparently, fans and the media speculation has been going on for a long time about the relationship between the team and the driver. The Briton joined Mercedes back in 2013. Since then, Mercedes dominated the grid till 2021, and their biggest weapon was none other than Lewis Hamilton.
In this period, Hamilton won six championships, adding to his first title with McLaren back in 2008. Keeping the past and his relation with Mercedes in mind, he is hoping that the team will catch up to their rivals at the end of the season. Hamilton also believes in fighting for the championship from the very beginning of the next season. However, neither Lewis nor Toto Wolff has confirmed his contract extension with Mercedes.
Toto Wolff Says The Hamilton’s Contract Is Not About Money Or Duration
The ongoing rumor is that Lewis Hamilton has asked for a ten-year deal worth $240 million and sees himself to be a brand ambassador of the team in the future. But the Silver Arrows is apparently planning to offer a year deal. That is why, they have not yet reached an agreement. Moreover, in the Austrian GP, Wolff had a heated moment with Hamilton when he said, “We know Lewis the car is bad, but please drive it.” However, Toto Wolff mentioned that it is not a big deal. They have many such arguements over the phone. Therefore, the boss does not feel this incident will hamper the contract extension.
Wolff even mentioned that the contract delay is not about the money and duration anymore. The Austrian billionaire team principal of Mercedes told Sky Sports that they are thinking about the future and what they need to do right and optimize. He also gave a hint about the number of years Hamilton’s contract can be extended to. As the Mercedes boss said, “To Americans a couple means a few and to British people a couple means two. It will be somewhere in between.” Moreover, Lewis Hamilton always states that as long as he and Wolff have good understanding, he won’t think about leaving Mercedes despite there are offers from Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton Must Wait Till Next Year To Taste Victory Again
Since last year, Mercedes has lost its grip on the title due to a flawed concept of the car. On the other hand, their arch-rival Red Bull has taken their place as the dominant team on the grid due to a superior car, thanks to the design of Adrian Newey. But Mercedes is not in the title contention. And it seems like an easy win for Red Bull this year as well.
Moreover, Red Bull won 17 races last year. Who knows if they can break their last year’s tally? After the Austrian Grand Prix last weekend, Red Bull has won nine Grands Prix. They have won all nine so far. But Mercedes is still planning to introduce new upgrades, albeit, it seems that they will have to wait till next year to find a grip.
