Does Mercedes remain loyal to Hamilton? 'Can't think of a better duo'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
The partnership between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes seems to be under pressure for the first time in a long time. The Brit won six of his seven world titles with the German team, but this season the Brit's dominance is completely gone. They even have to chase Red Bull Racing and Ferrari, which raises the question of how long Hamilton will enjoy himself at the top of motorsport.
The Mercedes driver currently has a contract until 2023. Next season he will have to talk to Mercedes again about a new contract, where the current performance will certainly be taken into account. While Mercedes still has uncertainty after 2023, its biggest competitor, Red Bull, has already contracted both drivers until at least 2024.
Too early for discussion
According to Toto Wolff, such long contracts are not an issue at present. Also, the question of whether Hamilton wants to stay with Mercedes after next season is not important yet, according to the German team boss, he explained in the press conference before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Formule1.nl is present.
"We are happy with Lewis now, but it is too early to talk about 2024." Wolff even explains that he cannot imagine a better driver duo at the moment and that for Mercedes a duo with George Russell and Hamilton is best for the team. At Mercedes they will first want to solve the current problems. Where they seemed to have found a solution to the porpoising problem in Barcelona and Monaco, the bouncing of the car has now returned twice as hard on the bumpy circuit in Baku.