Complications Between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes F1 Over Contract Extension – Reports

Earlier, it had been rumoured that Lewis Hamilton was close to re-signing with Mercedes for 2021 and onwards. To be perfectly honest, he may not have had much if a choice in the matter. Charles Leclerc and Ferrari triggered a massive shift in the driver market.

Red Bull responded by re-signing Max Verstappen, both drivers on long-term contract. Now it seems that Mercedes have responded as well with their star driver, Lewis Hamilton.

However, whispers from the Italian media suggests that the Mercedes-Hamilton negotiations have hit a road block. According to Il Correre dello Sport, both parties are still ironing out a few key details.

To be precise, neither side are able to see eye-to-eye on elements like differences in duration and annual salary. As per, FormulaPassion.it, quoting the Italian paper, Lewis Hamilton is targetting an annual salary in the $60 million range.

What is the Lewis Hamilton-Mercedes discussion about?

On the subject of the duration, the 6-time world champion is also gunning for a long-term deal, like Leclerc and Verstappen. However, it is highly unlikely that new Daimler boss Ola Kallenius, will take the bait. The Swedish CEO is aiming to make a significant reduction in costs by 2022.

All said and done, the Mercedes F1 team may still take Hamilton’s terms into consideration. However, they will be throwing in a . few terms of their own, as a counter. Some suggest that he may not be allowed to jump ship to another team when the deal is up.

In other words, he could  become a Mercedes ambassador upon retirement, similar to what Fernando Alonso did with McLaren. Admittedly, Lewis Hamilton is already the best-paid driver in Formula 1, but his current contract is set to expire at the end of the 2020 season.

There were numerous rumours linking him to Scuderia Ferrari, but the reports by the Italian press have seemingly dismissed them.