ISTANBUL, TURKEY: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates winning a 7th F1 World Drivers Championship on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Turkey at Intercity Istanbul Park in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
The 2021 F1 season is just a couple of months away and we’re still looking for a final announcement on Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes‘ contract. The Silver Arrows have the only empty driver spot left open ahead of the new season.
At the end of the 2020 season, Mercedes and Hamilton hinted at an announcement somewhere around Christmas. Since then, a lot of days have passed and the internet is filled with a variety of rumors. Some even pinpointing to Daimler chief pushing for George Russell amid differences with Lewis over contract duration and money.
While the world patiently awaits an official announcement, the rumors and reports have left Hamilton fans a bit impatient. Naturally they expect a social media post soon about Lewis’ signing thus putting an end to the uncertainty.
Keeping all these aside, Mercedes refuse to put any importance to this, and instead posted a photo of that left fans irritated and in a jiffy. They posted a photo celebrating four years of Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes. The Finnish driver signed with the Brackley team on January 16, 2017.
Naturally, the fans were on the lookout for a completely different announcement and felt that team was teasing them.
The admin naturally didn’t gain a lot of fans after their subtle tease. It was naturally a completely innocent post from their end, with no intention of hurting anyone’s feelings. But the rumors that surround the contract situation everyday have naturally led to people wanting Mercedes to announce it soon.
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Hamilton had an incredible 2020 season as he broke Schumacher’s record of most race wins and claimed his record-equaling seventh world title.
The negotiation talks first came up mid-season, but at the moment, Hamilton clarified that he wanted to focus on winning the championship. Moreover, he pointed out that he wanted more family time in his further contracts.
The season wrapped up with both Mercedes and Hamilton racking up another championship. Toto Wolff made it clear that an official announcement on the contract could take up till pre-season testing.
According to the reports, Hamilton is seeking a multi-year contract, hoping to stay with Mercedes at least till the end of 2022.
However, after George Russell’s heroics at the Sakhir GP, Mercedes is probably looking at a shorter contract. The negotiations are still going on and there is no cause for concern because both parties want to continue this partnership.
Hopefully, an official announcement is around the corner and we’ll see Hamilton and Mercedes take a shot at the record-breaking eighth championship.