The continuity of Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes is complicated. The seven-time world champion’s contract ends at the end of this season and, so far, there is no progress in the negotiations.
In recent months there have been rumors of a possible march of Hamilton heading to Ferrarioccupying the site of charles leclercwhich would end up in Mercedes. However, in Maranello they do not consider this operation and will continue with their pair of pilots at least until 2024, when both the Monegasque and the Monegasque contract end. Carlos Sainz.
This situation would leave Hamilton no other option than to renew with Mercedes. However, Toto Wolff, Mercedes team boss, assures that the negotiation is stalled and that the team and the driver could have incompatible interests.
“I want the best for him, but in the position I’m in, I have to think about what’s best for the team. This might be the first time in 10 or 11 years that we’ve been together and our goals have diverged.“, declared Toto Wolff in an interview on ‘ESPN’.
Wolff and Hamilon disagree on money
Both Hamilton and Mercedes are happy with each other, but the main sticking point is over money. Lewis Hamilton is currently the second highest paid driver on the grid, with 33 million euros per season. The Briton does not want to lower his salary, while the team is not willing to maintain that salary for a 38-year-old pilot.
Toto Wolff explains that talking about money with Hamilton is annoying: “It’s extremely uncomfortable. Every three years we have this situation. It’s like negotiating financial terms with your best friend.your close friend.”
To prevent the financial discrepancy from damaging their relationship, Lewis Hamilton’s agent, Penny Thow, is mediating in economic aspects. “After all, it’s hard to talk about money with ‘your partner’. Penni helps us in that situation and keeps us in check. We’ve found a good working method for negotiating. We avoid talking to each other about money, but we both talk about it with Penni,” Wolff explained.
In 2020, the year in which Lewis Hamilton won his seventh title, a situation similar to the current one occurred. The negotiation was tense to such an extent that the agreement was signed on February 8, 2021, one month before the start of the following season. If both parties continue without giving in, it is not ruled out that the soap opera will last for several months.
