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• Lewis Hamilton’s F1 contract comes to an end at the end of 2020.
• The driver hinted that he would possibly leave the sport this year.
• Hamilton has various interests outside of Formula 1.
• For more motorsports stories, visit www.Wheels24.co.za
During the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend, media representatives asked Lewis Hamilton a question about his future in Formula 1.
Hamilton, the ever-quick-thinking driver who has the sport wrapped around his finger, gave an answer that could be interpreted in a number of ways. However, it all comes down to that he could leave the sport at the end of 2020.
What?! F1 without Lewis Hamilton? Stranger things have happened, but if it comes down to that and he ends his F1 career, then the sport is sure to lose one of the biggest stars it has ever had.
Dotted line
While Mercedes-AMG confirmed Valtteri Bottas’ services for the 2021 F1 season, leading driver and defending champion Hamilton has yet to commit to the team beyond this year. With his contract expiring at the end of the current season, Hamilton is rumored to be looking to renew his contract with the team for more than $ 50 million per year.
That would make him the highest paid driver on the current grid and winning a record-matching seventh championship would surely add to his stock.
READ: Mercedes team boss believes Lewis Hamilton’s market value is ‘incredibly high’
Hamilton’s comments about leaving the sport could be a trick to get the team to accept his asking price, but it could also mean that he wants to secure a well-paid salary before salary caps are introduced in 2023. If Hamilton can secure a long a term agreement that runs through 2023 with the option to extend, then your agreement prior to 2023 must be honored and the cap of $ 30 million per year will only come into play when a new agreement is reached.
Do you think Hamilton will sign a new contract with the Mercedes-AMG team? Send us an email.
Interests outside of F1
Over the past decade or so, Hamilton has tried his hand at various pursuits outside of F1, most notably in his fashion line and side rapping. Recently, the F1 champion announced that he had entered a team in the newly discovered Extreme-E championship. The series focuses on rallying in parts of the world threatened by ecological elements and forced by man.
Hamilton has become a fairly avid spokesperson and ambassador for the evils being done against the planet, and joining Extreme-E is part of the talking.
READ: Lewis Hamilton Launches Electric Off-Road Racing Team
If Hamilton’s comments about leaving the sport are accurate, then he will have plenty of activities to keep him busy. From fashion and music to a new era of motorsports, Hamilton will be busy enough not to miss F1 as much. If he must resign, the sport will miss him, sure, but after 14 seasons (2007-2020) it has been cemented in its annals. And while time lasts, no one will ever forget what he accomplished.
Our opinion: Lewis Hamilton will sign a new contract with Mercedes-AMG and it will be 1) a multi-year contract and 2) the largest, in terms of salary, in the history of the sport.
