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      Lewis Hamilton could quit F1 at end of next season after signing new £40m Mercedes contract… but only for one-year

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      LEWIS HAMILTON will consider walking away from Formula One at the end of this season.
      The Brit has signed an extension to his Mercedes contract to drive for the Silver Arrows in 2021.

      Lewis Hamilton has agreed a new 10-month contract with Mercedes for the 2021 seasonCredit: PA

      George Russell has been linked with taking Hamilton’s seat should he leave in 2022Credit: Reuters

      However, it is just a 10-month deal – rather than the expected two or three years – as the world champion is weighing up his future.
      Hamilton will earn a reported £40million this season as he goes in search of an eighth world title that would move him clear of the record he currently holds with Michael Schumacher.
      The 36-year-old already holds the record for the most wins (95), pole positions (98) and podium finishes (165) in F1.
      He said: “I am excited to be heading into my ninth season with my Mercedes team-mates.

      “Our team has achieved incredible things together and we look forward to building on our success even further, while continuously looking to improve, both on and off the track.
      “I’m equally determined to continue the journey we started to make motorsport more diverse for future generations and I am grateful that Mercedes has been extremely supportive of my call to address this issue.
      “I’m proud to say we are taking that effort further this year by launching a foundation dedicated to diversity and inclusion in the sport.
      “I am inspired by all that we can build together and can’t wait to get back on the track in March.”

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      Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has stated he isn’t commenting on Hamilton’s long-term future in F1Credit: AFP or licensors

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      I am inspired by all that we can build together and can’t wait to get back on the track in March.”
      Lewis Hamilton

      Mercedes CEO and team boss, Toto Wolff said that his team will be reevaluating as part of the new rules being introduced in to F1 in 2022 with fellow Brit, George Russell waiting in the wings.
      Wolff added: “Lewis needs to decide what his future holds for him, that’s why I wouldn’t want to comment on where Lewis stands.
      “The team needs to decide in the long term what we want to do about drivers.
      “Valtteri [Bottas] and Lewis have our 100 percent commitment and loyalty for 2021, we will support them with everything we have and we will then look beyond this year and see what is the line up we imagine in 2022 and onwards.
      “Our first discussions will be with Valtteri and Lewis in respecting our values of loyalty and integrity.
      “On the other side young drivers are the future therefore we need to consider how we want to set ourselves up for the years beyond.”

      Mercedes chief Toto Wolff insists Lewis Hamilton’s new £40m deal was never in doubt More

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      Lewis Hamilton only signed new £40m contract on 10-month deal due to dramatic regulation changes in 2022 season

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      IT took ages to get done, but finally Lewis Hamilton has signed a new contract with Mercedes.
      The biggest surprise however is that his reported £40million contract will only run for 10 months.

      Lewis Hamilton has finally signed on the dotted line to race in 2021Credit: PA

      Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has explained the process behind the dealCredit: Reuters

      So why not the usual three year-deal for Hamilton as expected? After all, he was simply untouchable in 2020 as he won his record-equalling seventh world title.
      Well, it actually makes perfect sense for both Hamilton and Mercedes, with Toto Wolff admitting that both parties agreed that the short-term contract was the best solution.
      Team boss Wolff said: “We jointly agreed to do a one-year deal.
      “First of all there is a substantial regulation change in 2022.

      “We also want to see how the world develops.”
      Hamilton will turn 37 five days after this latest deal expires and has been weighing up life after F1 for several months.
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      Throughout the 2020 campaign he dropped little hints that he was considering his future.

      He has openly spoken about his other projects in fashion and music while he is now a racing team owner in the electric off-road series, Extreme E.
      Hamilton has also expressed his desire to remain at Mercedes in some capacity when he quits F1 and the establishment of a foundation between them in the new deal certainly lends itself to the legacy that he is trying to achieve.
      Wolff added: “The foundation was a joint idea that came up whilst we were discussing the new contract because we felt that making a real financial contribution to our diversity and equality project was an important statement.
      “Also it felt like the right thing to do and it shows our long-term commitment to each other because it is a multi-million investment into the foundation, which we are going to run jointly.
      “That was a joint idea between Lewis and us. We felt it was a very important topic to address.

      “The foundation is also a long-term commitment of ourselves and we are already very active in that field as Mercedes and the specific projects we define together and that’s not going to happen from one week to the other.”
      As for Mercedes, the stop-gap makes total sense as they prepare for 2022 and a new set of regulations that are designed to shake up the order of F1.
      While Hamilton can see if he likes the look of the future of F1, Merc too can make a call based on George Russell’s performances.
      After all, Valtteri Bottas is also out of contract at the end of this year, so Mercedes have the option to completely change their lineup if they wish to do so.
      The one thing which is clear is that despite the threat of more disruptions to this season due to cancelled races due to coronavirus, Mercedes will not hang around in making their decision.
      Unlike last year where they were willing to wait for Hamilton, this time it could be them calling the shots.

      We have agreed that we don’t want to drag it on as much or as long as we did this time around.
      Toto WolffOn Talks For 2022

      Wolff said: “The talks for 2022 will start earlier than the 2021 deal.
      “It’s always tricky to find some time whilst racing but we have learned the lesson that there can be external factors that can delay discussions and we don’t want to end up in January again.
      “So probably we are going to pick up chatting about 2022 much earlier. We have agreed that we don’t want to drag it on as much or as long as we did this time around.”

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      Top ten F1 driver salaries as Lewis Hamilton signs new £40m contract with Max Verstappen next… and £22m BEHIND him

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has signed a bumper new one-year £40million Mercedes contract which is over double his highest paid rival Max Verstappen’s annual wage.
      The Brit, who had been out of contract since January 1, has committed to Mercedes for 12 more months.

      Lewis Hamilton is F1’s biggest earner

      His deal includes a charitable donation to help increase diversity in F1.
      And the £40m figure is understood to include all bonuses and add-ons.
      Record breaking Hamilton is by far the sport’s highest earner with Red Bull’s Dutch star Verstappen coming in at second-place with his £18.2m-a-year deal.
      Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren are tied third with their £10.19m annual wage.

      And Leclerc’s team-mate Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel complete the top six earning £7.28m every 12 months.
      Former world champion Fernando Alonso pockets a cool £6.55m-a-year with Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas collecting less than 20 per cent of the Brit’s salary at £5.82m.
      Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen bring up the rear with £4.37m and £3.64m respectively.
      Hamilton, 36, will go into his 15th season in F1 looking to win a record eighth world title – surpassing the joint-record he currently holds with Michael Schumacher.

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      Hamilton already holds the record for the most wins (95), pole positions (98) and podium finishes (165).
      Mercedes say the new deal will ‘form of a joint charitable foundation, which will have the mission of supporting greater diversity and inclusion in all its forms in motorsport’.
      Hamilton said: “I am excited to be heading into my ninth season with my Mercedes team-mates.
      “Our team has achieved incredible things together and we look forward to building on our success even further, while continuously looking to improve, both on and off the track.
      “I’m equally determined to continue the journey we started to make motorsport more diverse for future generations and I am grateful that Mercedes has been extremely supportive of my call to address this issue.
      “I’m proud to say we are taking that effort further this year by launching a foundation dedicated to diversity and inclusion in the sport.
      “I am inspired by all that we can build together and can’t wait to get back on the track in March.”
      Testing in Bahrain gets underway on March 12 with the season opener in the desert two weeks later.

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      Lewis Hamilton SIGNS £40m one-year Mercedes contract as F1 legend ends speculation over future and terms finally agreed

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has finally signed his new deal with Mercedes – estimated to be worth up to £40million.
      The Brit, who had been out of contract since January 1, has committed to Mercedes for another year.

      Lewis Hamilton has committed his future to Mercedes for 2021Credit: Reuters

      The deal will run for just one more year and includes a charitable donation to help increase diversity in F1.
      Hamilton, 36, will go into his 15th season in F1 looking to win a record eighth world title – surpassing the joint-record he currently holds with Michael Schumacher.
      Hamilton already holds the record for the most wins (95), pole positions (98) and podium finishes (165).
      Mercedes say the new deal will “form of a joint charitable foundation, which will have the mission of supporting greater diversity and inclusion in all its forms in motorsport”.

      Hamilton said: “I am excited to be heading into my ninth season with my Mercedes teammates.
      “Our team has achieved incredible things together and we look forward to building on our success even further, while continuously looking to improve, both on and off the track.

      Hamilton and Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff have agreed on the world champion’s contract after months of talksCredit: PA:Press Association
      “I’m equally determined to continue the journey we started to make motorsport more diverse for future generations and I am grateful that Mercedes has been extremely supportive of my call to address this issue.

      “I’m proud to say we are taking that effort further this year by launching a foundation dedicated to diversity and inclusion in the sport.
      “I am inspired by all that we can build together and can’t wait to get back on the track in March.”
      Mercedes’ CEO and team boss, Toto Wolff, added ahead of a press conference on Monday afternoon: “We have always been aligned with Lewis that we would continue.
      “But the very unusual year we had in 2020 meant it took some time to finish the process.
      “Together, we have decided to extend the sporting relationship for another season and to begin a longer-term project to take the next step in our shared commitment to greater diversity within our sport.
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      “Lewis’s competitive record stands alongside the best the sports world has ever seen, and he is a valued ambassador for our brand and our partners.
      “The story of Mercedes and Lewis has written itself into the history books of our sport over the past eight seasons, and we are hungry to compete and to add more chapters to it.”
      Following Monday’s announcement, fans can look forward to the Mercs unveiling their 2021 car on March 2.
      Testing in Bahrain gets underway on March 12 with the season opener in the desert two weeks later.

      Lewis Hamilton hikes to the top of a mountain every morning to ‘set his goals’ More

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      Mercedes should tell Lewis Hamilton ‘take it or leave it’ says ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone as he recalls row over Senna

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      BERNIE ECCLESTONE has called on Mercedes to offer Lewis Hamilton a ‘take it or leave it’ contract.
      Negotiations over the world champion’s seat in the coming season continue to rumble on.

      Bernie Ecclestone has given his take on Lewis Hamilton’s contract sagaCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had promised that an agreement would be found ‘soon’ but Hamilton remains the only driver on the grid without a contract.
      Ecclestone, 90, ran the Brabham team in the 1970s and 80s before heading F1 itself for a number of decades and he set out how he would approach the Hamilton talks.
      He told F1 Insider: “I would have made it quite clear to Lewis.
      “Either you take what we offer you now – or you leave it.

      “Everyone is replaceable. Only one person decides who drives here – and that’s me!”
      Ecclestone recalled a similar negotiation with multiple world champion Nelson Piquet at Brabham in the mid-1980s.

      Hamilton is yet to confirm his Mercedes seat for 2021Credit: PA:Press Association

      Ecclestone recalled his attempt to bring Ayrton Senna to Brabham in 1984Credit: Reuters
      An up-and-coming Ayrton Senna had caught the Brit’s eye but star man Piquet helped veto the call.
      Ecclestone continued: “In 1983 we became world champion with Nelson Piquet.

      “I had to decide who would drive alongside him in 1984. We had an extremely good test with a young Brazilian driver called Ayrton Senna.
      “I wanted him. When Nelson heard about it, he really got upset and reacted like a defiant child.
      “He absolutely did not want Senna as a team-mate. He immediately recognised his potential. But I didn’t care.
      “Our main sponsor Parmalat didn’t want two Brazilians. I weighed everything carefully.
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      “In the end, peace in the team was more important to me.
      “But since I was also the head of the constructors’ association, I made sure that Senna got a job elsewhere, with Toleman.
      “I knew he was going to be the future superstar, so I really wanted to see him in Formula One.”

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      Lewis Hamilton takes £140k Porsche on shopping trip to Beverly Hills jewellery store as contract talks drag on

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      LEWIS HAMILTON took time out of contract talks with Mercedes to go jewellery shopping in Beverly Hills on Friday.
      The seven-time Formula One World Champion, 36, has yet to agree terms with the Silver Arrows over the renewal of his £40million-a-year contract.

      The F1 world champion has been locked in contract talks with MercedesCredit: BackGrid

      Hamilton took his £140k 2000 Porsche Taycan Turbo S for a spinCredit: BackGrid

      Hamilton attempted to distract himself from the uncertainty surrounding his future in F1 with a visit to the exclusive XIV Karats Ltd store near Rodeo Drive.
      The Hertfordshire-native adhered to Covid-19 safety protocols as he sported a white face mask before peeling away in his £140,000 2000 Porsche Taycan Turbo S.
      Hamilton has been relaxing in California as he continues his recovery from coronavirus.
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      The former McLaren driver tested positive less than 24 hours after winning the Bahrain Grand Prix in November.
      Hamilton and Mercedes have been locked in talks over a new deal during F1’s off-season, as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year eyes a record eighth World Drivers’ Championship.
      The length of Hamilton’s contract is believed to be a sticking point in negotiations with Mercedes, with the Hertfordshire-native hoping to extend his stay in F1 for two more years.
      However, the Constructors’ Champions are only willing to offer Hamilton a one-year-deal, despite him being crowned World Drivers’ Champion less than two months ago.

      There are also suggestions he is seeking a cut the TV cash his star status helps attract to Mercedes.
      Mercedes will be hoping they can tie Hamilton down for the 2021 season before their new car is unveiled on March 2.

      Mercedes hope to have Hamilton signed on by the start of next monthCredit: BackGrid

      Testing for the new season begins in Bahrain 10 days later.
      Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is confident Hamilton will put pen to paper ‘soon’.
      Negotiations are thought to have been thrown off by Wolff contracting coronavirus last month with the team boss speaking of ‘curveballs’ delaying an agreement.
      Mercedes are the last F1 team to confirm their driver line-up for the 2021 season.

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      Unemployed F1 star Lewis Hamilton considering switch to Formula E as all-electric sport is the ‘future’

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      UNEMPLOYED Lewis Hamilton has previously revealed he’s thinking about racing in Formula E – but only once his F1 career is over.
      The joint-record seven-time F1 champion is out of contract at Mercedes and is yet to agree terms over an expected two-year deal worth £40million a season.

      Lewis Hamilton is considering driving in Formula-ECredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The Brit racing legend is currently a free agent after celebrating a joint-record seventh championship

      But the star has already said he is thinking about what series he races in next.
      Speaking at an event two years ago at Silverstone to mark Mercedes-Benz’s 125th year in motorsport he was quizzed about his future in racing.
      And the 36-year-old,who is spending his time during his ’embarrassing’ Merc stand-off in his wilderness hideout in the United States, hinted he could follow in the footsteps of fellow Englishman Gary Paffett in to all-electric series, which Mercedes will join next season.
      He said: “That is something I have kind of been debating. Up until now it has always been about Formula One.

      “But I just drove an old DTM car today, which I really loved. I rarely get to a track these days and have some fun, so that experience was extraordinary.
      “It was so cool driving my 2015 car and then the 196. It was a unique experience.
      “Being that I have been racing since I was eight years old, I am going to have massive withdrawal symptoms, like every driver has when they stop racing, when Formula One stops for me.
      “There are other things to do. I guess there are other series I could do. Fernando Alonso is doing Indycar and you see Kimi Raikkonen still pushing the boundaries.

      “I actually grew up in the same era as Gary Paffett.
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      “He is a little bit older than me and he is now racing in Formula E and that is now going to be the future.
      “So, who knows, in the future that’s maybe an area where I can use my skills but as you get older, it is more challenging to find the motivation to stay focused and you have to find something you love.
      “I am pretty sure I will always love cars, and for now I am going to try and stay in Formula One, so long as I stay focused and fit, I will carry on driving the best that I can.”

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      F1 may see races in Africa, insists new CEO Stefano Domenicali as sport looks to broaden horizons

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      FORMULA ONE could see new races in Africa according to new CEO Stefano Domenicali.
      The Italian revealed that the sport’s owners, Liberty Media, have been approached by interested parties looking to put on races in northern and South Africa.

      New chief Stefano Domenicali has confirmed F1 plans to expand the sportCredit: PA:Press Association

      World champ Lewis Hamilton has been given a month by Mercedes to agree a new deal, as F1 explores options for making the sport even more globalCredit: PA:Press Association

      Domenicali also revealed that F1 are still in negotiations over a race in Miami, with more races in the USA.
      He said: “There is a discussion in place with Miami, that is true.
      “I can tell you that our strategy for the future is to have more presence in the US with more than one GP.

      “Austin has been very important in the last years of our calendar and it will be for the future and we are discussing the renewal of the agreement with them.

      “Miami is a place we are looking at and there is big interest from both parties to be there and let’s work together to see if we can confirm that.
      “There are other areas that I can tell you have shown interest that is in northern Africa and South Africa.
      “This is something that’s very important I think in terms of having new places or old places with heritage back in Formula One.
      “We don’t have to forget that we had also lost some European races that now are showing the interest to be considered again.”

      F1 will again press ahead with their record-breaking 23-race calendar despite the pandemic.
      While the situation remains flexible and the Australian and Chinese GPs have been bumped from their original dates, Domenicali says he is confident that F1 will get their season completed.
      ‘RIGHT BALANCE’
      But he also admitted that with more interest in new races, there needs to be a limit.
      He added: “What is going to happen in the future is we need to decide what is the right balance in terms of the number of races.
      “What are the areas that we need to strategically invest – for teams, for the interests of broadcasters, for the interests of media, for sponsors’ interests – and decide what will be the right way to go.

      “We know that 23 races is at the top end of the scale of what we are doing today.
      “If we are doing a good product you may say that if the value is high you may reach the same kind of business without being too numerous in terms of races.
      “If you are able to make the right choices, I think that will be the way to go. It may not be in the shortest time but that is the target.”

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