Mercedes and Hamilton will not come out: 'Negotiations do not go smoothly'

It is already 12 January and Sir Lewis Hamilton still has no contract for 2021. The seven-time world champion and his team Mercedes have always said that they would agree a deal, but is that really the case?

Hamilton yet to sign a new deal

The Silly Season was particularly exciting towards the end of the Formula 1 season of 2021. There were a lot of drivers on the market, so there was plenty of shifting. Now that everything is finally in place, however, one thing stands out: The World Champion's spot has not yet been filled. Where everyone assumed that Hamilton would sign on the dotted line this is still not the case.

This makes Mercedes the only team on the grid that still has a spot left, which is crazy for the team that have already won the World Championship seven times in a row. In 2016 it was startled by the departure of Nico Rosberg, but that is not the case now. Mercedes wants to keep Hamilton and Hamilton wants to stay with Mercedes, but the parties are too far apart.

Russell is watching

According to De Telegraaf, well-established sources report that 'the negotiations between the two parties are anything but smooth'. Hamilton has hefty salary demands and is said to want to earn GBP 40 million, or nearly EUR 45 million. In addition, the duration of a new contract is also under discussion. The successful driver would like to sign for several years, Mercedes does not want to go beyond one season initially.

Apparently INEOS would like to jump in to cough up the difference in salary, but that doesn't solve the duration of the contract. How hard are both parties willing to play this game? George Russell will look at developments with a skewed eye, because with his performance in Sakhir he is the man who will be the first to be called as his replacement.