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      Lewis Hamilton signs new two-year Mercedes deal on £40m-A-YEAR as F1 superstar ends speculation over his future

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has signed a new two-year contract with Mercedes keeping him in F1 until 2023.The seven time world champion has agreed terms on a package worth around £80million.
      Lewis Hamilton has confirmed he’s signed a new two-year contract with MercedesCredit: Alamy
      The seven time world champ has agreed terms on a package worth around £80mCredit: PA
      Hamilton, 36, is currently locked in a fierce battle with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for the title.
      The Dutchman is currently 18 points ahead of this weekend’s Austrian GP, but Hamilton is adamant he is still in the fight.
      His new contract is a huge statement of intent from F1’s most successful driver of all time.
      Next year the sport will undergo its biggest ever rule change and Hamilton is confident that Merc are capable of delivering him a car to fight for more victories and titles.
      He said: “It is hard to believe it’s been nearly nine years working with this incredible team and I’m excited we’re going to continue our partnership for two more years.
      “We’ve accomplished so much together but we still have a lot to achieve, both on and off the track. I’m incredibly proud and grateful of how Mercedes has supported me in my drive to improve diversity and equality in our sport.
      “They have held themselves accountable and made important strides in creating a more diverse team and inclusive environment.
      “Thank you to all the dedicated and talented individuals at Mercedes whose hard work makes it all possible and the board for their continued trust in me.

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      “We’re entering a new era of car which will be challenging and exciting and I can’t wait to see what else we can achieve together.”
      Team boss Toto Wolff said his star driver was evergreen and could continue to race for however long he wishes.
      He added: “As we enter a new era of F1 from 2022 onwards, there can be no better driver to have in our team than Lewis.
      Team boss Toto Wolff said Hamilton could continue to race for however long he wishesCredit: Splash
      “His achievements in this sport speak for themselves, and with his experience, speed and race-craft, he is at the peak of his powers.
      “We are relishing the battle we have on our hands this year – and that’s why we also wanted to agree this contract early, so we have no distractions from the competition on track.
      “I have always said that as long as Lewis still possesses the fire for racing, he can continue as long as he wants.”

      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      Red Bull troll Mercedes by copying F1 rivals’ tweet after Max Verstappen’s Styrian Grand Prix win

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      RED BULL continued their quest to become Formula One top dogs by cheekily copying a Mercedes tweet to mark their Austria win.Max Verstappen romped home in the Styrian Grand Prix on Sunday with barely a challenge from runner-up Lewis Hamilton.

      It was a complete role reversal from the 2020 race at Red Bull Ring, which saw the Mercedes star finish first and 33 seconds clear of his rival.
      The Anglo-German team heralded that win with a celebratory tweet expressing their love for the Spielberg circuit owned by their rivals.
      And Sunday’s victory for Verstappen, by a 35-second margin over Hamilton, saw Red Bull pull out the exact same tweet.
      On both occasions, it read: “What can we say… We ❤️️ coming to the Red Bull Ring! 😜”
      Both were accompanied by images of the winning team’s pit crew leaning over the barrier to cheer home their man.
      Red Bull have now won four races in a row, three for Verstappen alongside the Baku triumph for Sergio Perez after the Dutchman’s tyre failure.
      The streak has put the Mercs on the back foot, behind in the constructors’ standings by 40 points with Hamilton 18 off Verstappen.
      The seven-time champion called on his team to ditch their plan of focusing on the 2022 rule overhaul and deliver him an upgrade this season.

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      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info

      Formula One does it all again around Spielberg next weekend to round off a triple-header.
      But Verstappen has been warned of his conduct ahead of the race officially known as the Austrian Grand Prix.
      The 23-year-old’s ‘burnout’ celebration as he crossed the chequered flag earned a rebuke from the stewards, who will punish the move if done again.
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      Lewis Hamilton fears his calls for Mercedes upgrade will be ignored despite falling behind F1 leader Max Verstappen

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has called on Mercedes to change tack and deliver an upgrade to make his title fight with Max Verstappen more ‘exciting’.The Mercs have utterly dominated Formula One in the hybrid era but look set to lose their 100 per cent championship record in its final year.
      Lewis Hamilton is hoping for a boost in his bid to win the F1 world titleCredit: Splash
      Many teams are turning their attention to the 2022 rule change that will see a complete overhaul of many aspects of the car.
      Among them are Mercedes, who have slipped behind Red Bull while allowing their 2021 car to go without serious development since the season began.
      Max Verstappen’s 18-point title lead has grown with back-to-back wins and Hamilton has asked his team for a rethink.
      He said after Sunday’s Styrian Grand Prix: “I won’t question the team’s logic and how they got through with their process.
      “I would love to have … an upgrade. We would love an upgrade, but I don’t think it’s in the pipeline at the moment.
      “We are down on a few areas. It was close at the beginning of the season and if we both – Red Bull and us – had the same performance as we did in those first four races then perhaps it would be a little more exciting.

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      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      “They have taken a decent step forwards and we will work as hard as we can to manoeuvre around it, but in terms of baseline performance this is what we’ve got.”
      Hamilton admitted it was ‘impossible’ to keep up with Verstappen as he came home a distant second at Red Bull Ring.
      With plenty of the season still to run, the 36-year-old has vowed not to give up despite four consecutive victories for his rival’s team.
      But Red Bull boss Christian Horner has outlined his belief that the tide has turned against Hamilton as Verstappen is simply a better driver.

      The 47-year-old told RacingNews365: “I think Verstappen is the best, and George Russell’s performance at Mercedes confirmed that for me.
      “Max and Lewis stand out for me but, while we should definitely not be blind to what Hamilton has achieved, he does have a good package at his disposal.
      “Max has to get more out of his car. At Mercedes, a Williams driver can qualify himself directly on the front row and Russell almost won the race. 
      “However, if at Red Bull someone has to get into Verstappen’s car, for example if Max had corona, then nobody will reach his level.”
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      Lewis Hamilton set to sign new Mercedes deal – on £10m less a year than current contract – after ‘hot phase’ of talks

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      LEWIS HAMILTON is expected to sign a new deal with Mercedes within weeks after boss Toto Wolff declared they were entering the ‘hot phase’ of negotiations.Hamilton was quizzed by SunSport last week about negotiations with Wolff over a new deal – believed to be a two-year contract.
      Toto Wolff is in talks to seal Lewis Hamilton’s future with MercedesCredit: Splash
      The world champion confirmed that ‘positive’ discussions had started about extending his stay with the team.
      And now in an interview with German paper Bild, Wolff revealed they are ‘closer to an agreement’.
      He said: “We have such a close relationship and we talk to each other again and again when traveling or off the racetrack.
      “Of course, also about what an agreement could look like for the years to come.
      “If I were to say that the contract has already been signed, that would not be correct. But we are beyond the status of exploratory talks.
      “Now it’s the hot phase. I think we are way closer to an agreement than a separation. Because we also agreed that it is better not to negotiate until February, as was the case this year.”

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      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Hamilton, 36, only signed a 10-month deal earlier this year, worth around £40million, yet his new contract is set to dip down to around £30m per year.
      The deal is likely to form an extension to the joint foundation between the two that strives to support diversity and inclusion in all Merc’s motorsport programmes.
      Once Hamilton’s future is tied up, Mercedes will switch their attention to lining up his team-mate.
      George Russell is increasingly likely to get the nod to replace Valtteri Bottas, despite the Finn’s partnership with Hamilton.
      Meanwhile, former Mercedes boss Ross Brawn has accused the team of ‘trying too hard’ as they have ‘stumbled a bit’ in their title fight with Red Bull.
      He added: “This is the fascinating thing about F1. Sometimes you win races you shouldn’t win. Sometimes you don’t win races you should win.
      Lewis Hamilton was once again second to Max Verstappen last time outCredit: AFP

      “It did feel at the beginning of the year that Red Bull, who were a very slick operation, fumbled a bit.
      “But now they are back up to speed. What looked to be the better car is now showing it in the results.
      “At the beginning of the year, Mercedes outraced them. That is not the case now.
      “It’s been the opposite in the last couple of races. Mercedes are trying too hard, and they’ve stumbled a bit.”
      The ten greatest F1 drivers of all-time – according to SunSport’s motorsport correspondent Ben Hunt
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      Defiant Lewis Hamilton refusing to give up on record F1 world title dream and vows to fight Max Verstappen until the end

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      LEWIS HAMILTON is defiant and says he will not give up his Formula One crown to Max Verstappen without a fight.The world champion was reeling after Verstappen’s stonking victory last weekend and the bombshell that his Mercedes team would NOT be upgrading his car.
      Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is currently top of the Drivers ChampionshipCredit: Getty
      But defending champion Lewis Hamilton has vowed not to give up his title without a fightCredit: Splash
      Instead, while Red Bull continue to refine and improve the Dutchman’s car, Merc are focussing all their efforts on next year’s challenger.
      However, when quizzed about his title defence, defiant Hamilton says he will not surrender that easily.
      He said: “I don’t accept anything. I think we’ve still got many races ahead of us and we’ve got to keep pushing.
      “We are the world champions and we can definitely improve if we have put our minds to it.
      “If we’re not going to develop and improve our car for the rest of the year, this is the result you’re going to see.
      “Because Red Bull have really eked our performance in these last few races, wherever it’s been in France with the engine or the new wing, whichever it is.

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      “But there’s another TD (technical directive) coming out for the wings. I don’t know if they’re stopping the bendiness or not but maybe that will level the playing field.”
      Meanwhile, Red Bull boss Christian Horner does not believe Merc boss Toto Wolff will throw in the towel that easily.
      He added: “What Mercedes do is very much their business, so we’re just focused on ourselves.
      “We know Toto loves to throw the light somewhere else, so I cannot believe they’ll go through the rest of this year without putting a single component on the car.
      “All we can do is focus on our own job.
      Red Bull chief Christian Horner expects Mercedes to put up a fight right until the endCredit: Splash

      “Of course it is a balancing act between this year and next year, but if that means we’ve got to work a bit harder than the other teams, we’re fully up for it.
      “For the first time in quite a while we’ve come out of the blocks this year with a competitive car and we’ve managed to optimise that and tune it.
      “When you look at the new car for next year, every time it goes through a development cycle it’s significant steps.
      “It’s getting the balance right between marginal gains for this year and big steps for next year. But that’s no different to how it’s been in the past.
      “We’ve just got to keep turning the screw, keep our heads down, keep doing what we’re doing, keep doing the basics well.”
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      Lewis Hamilton claims it is ‘IMPOSSIBLE’ for Mercedes to keep up with Red Bull and have ‘no answer’ to F1 rivals

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      LEWIS HAMILTON called on Mercedes to ditch their plan of focusing fully on 2022 and deliver him an upgrade to catch Max Verstappen.While the reigning world champions have been dominant in Formula One for years, Red Bull are pulling away this season.
      Lewis Hamilton (left) finished second in Austria on Sunday and is now 18 points behind Max Verstappen in the race for the championshipCredit: Reuters
      Verstappen won again in Sunday’s Styrian Grand Prix to go 18 points clear of Hamilton atop the championship standings.
      And the Brit admitted it was ‘impossible’ to keep up with his rival around Red Bull Ring.
      Hamilton summarised: “It was a bit of a lonely race.
      “I was trying to stay with Max but they have made some improvements and it was impossible to keep up.
      “We got good points as a team and we have to keep pushing.
      “I try not to concern myself with the championship but they are just faster and there is not a lot I can do in that respect but just try and do the best I can. We need to find performance.”
      Verstappen led from start to finish in Spielberg and F1 will race at the same circuit next weekend.
      Hamilton had won three of the first four races in 2021 but now finds himself comfortably beaten by the Dutchman for the second week in a row.

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      They have definitely made big steps over the past couple of races and we haven’t really got an answer for it.Lewis Hamilton
      He described the gap between the cars and said: “It was around three to four tenths [of a second per lap] – it was pretty impressive speed they had.
      “There was nothing I could do. I gave it absolutely everything.
      “I don’t know where they are gaining speed but it was everywhere in general, particularly on the straights.
      “They have definitely made big steps over the past couple of races and we haven’t really got an answer for it.”
      Mercedes have admitted that they will not be adding any more upgrades to this season’s car to help them prepare for a huge rule overhaul next year.
      But Hamilton is desperate for some instant extra development to help his bid for eight world titles.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      The 36-year-old said: “We need to find performance. We need an upgrade of some sort.
      “We have not brought any upgrades. I don’t remember the last time we had any upgrades, but Red Bull have.
      “They have clearly brought an engine upgrade and some other part of the package and it has eked them ahead and there is not too much we can do.
      “We would love to have upgrades and improvements but I don’t think that is on the cards, but when we do our debrief, we will talk about it.

      “I am not going to question the team’s logic or process. I would love an update. Give us an upgrade, but I don’t think it is in the pipeline at the moment.
      “We are down on a few areas. It was close at the beginning of the season but they have taken a decent step forwards.
      “We did a decent job but it is going to get harder, especially if Sergio Perez has a better weekend.”
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      F1 calendar 2021: Grand Prix times, schedule, tracks with Styrian GP this weekend as Hamilton duels with Verstappen

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      THE 2021 Formula 1 season is seven races in with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen set for a season-long scrap for the title.But Verstappen seems to have all the caught up with his Brit rival in recent weeks after winning in Monte Carlo and Le Castellet.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Lewis Hamilton is aiming to become the outright most successful driver of all timeCredit: Getty
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      The Brit, 36, moved level with Michael Schumacher on seven world titles last year and will become the outright top dog if he collects the most points across this season’s races.
      In a season that has already seen shifts and changes to the calendar, the Australian Grand Prix was due to take place on the weekend of March 21, but was put back to November 21 because of coronavirus restrictions Down Under.
      Turkey had replaced Canada as the Grand Prix destination on June 13, but it was then axed by F1 chiefs on safety grounds.
      And in April the world governing body approved sprint races in the British, Brazilian and Italian Grand Prix as a replacement for qualifying.
      Here is how the F1 calendar unfolds in 2021 with our race by race schedule.
      F1 calendar 2021
      All timings below are UK time.
      🇧🇭 Bahrain Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir
      Friday, March 26: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (3pm)
      Saturday, March 27: Practice 3 (12pm), Qualifying (3pm)
      Sunday, March 28: Race (4pm)

      🇮🇹 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Lewis Hamilton 3. Lando Norris

      Venue: Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola
      Friday, April 16: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, April 17: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, April 18: Race (2pm)

      🇵🇹 Portuguese Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Autodromo Internacional do Algarve
      Friday, April 30: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (3pm)
      Saturday, May 1: Practice 3 (12pm), Qualifying (3pm)
      Sunday, May 2: Race (3pm)

      🇪🇸 Spanish Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
      Friday, May 7: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, May 8: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, May 9: Race (2pm)

      🇲🇨 Monaco Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Carlos Sainz 3. Lando Norris

      Venue: Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo
      Thursday, May 20: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, May 22: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, May 23: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Sergio Perez 2. Sebastian Vettel 3. Pierre Gasly

      Venue: Baku City Circuit
      Friday, June 4: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, June 5: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, June 6: Race (1pm)

      🇨🇦 Canadian Grand Prix – CANCELLED

      🇹🇷 Turkish Grand Prix – CANCELLED

      🇫🇷 French Grand Prix – NEXT
      FRENCH GP LIVE: All the updates from Le Castellet this weekend
      🏆 Grand Prix result: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Lewis Hamilton 3. Sergio Perez

      Venue: Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet
      Friday, June 18: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, June 19: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, June 20: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇹 Styrian Grand Prix

      Venue: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
      Friday, June 25: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, June 26: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, June 27: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇹 Austrian Grand Prix

      Venue: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
      Friday, July 2: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, July 3: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, July 4: Race (2pm)

      🇬🇧 British Grand Prix
      *Inaugural sprint race replaces classic qualifying.

      Venue: Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire
      Friday, July 16: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (3pm)
      Saturday, July 17: Practice 3 (12pm), SPRINT RACE (3pm)*
      Sunday, July 18: Race (3pm)

      🇭🇺 Hungarian Grand Prix

      Venue: Hungaroring, Budapest
      Friday, July 30: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, July 31: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, August 1: Race (2pm)

      🇧🇪 Belgian Grand Prix

      Venue: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
      Friday, August 27: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, August 28: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, August 29: Race (2pm)

      🇳🇱 Dutch Grand Prix

      Venue: Zandvoort
      Friday, September 3: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, September 4: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, September 5: Race (2pm)

      🇮🇹 Italian Grand Prix 2

      Venue: Autodromo Nazionale Monza
      Friday, September 10: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, September 11: Practice 3 (11am), SPRINT RACE (2PM)
      Sunday, September 12: Race (2pm)

      🇷🇺 Russian Grand Prix

      Venue: Sochi Autodrom
      Friday, September 24: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, September 25: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, September 26: Race (1pm)

      🇸🇬 Singapore Grand Prix – CANCELLED

      🇯🇵 Japanese Grand Prix

      Venue: Suzuka International Racing Course, Ino, Sazuka City
      Friday, October 8: Practice 1 (3.30am), Practice 2 (7am)
      Saturday, October 9: Practice 3 (4am), Qualifying (7am)
      Sunday, October 10: Race (6am)

      🇺🇸 United States Grand Prix

      Venue: Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas
      Friday, October 22: Practice 1 (5.30pm), Practice 2 (9pm)
      Saturday, October 23: Practice 3 (7pm), Qualifying (10pm)
      Sunday, October 24: Race (8pm)

      🇲🇽 Mexico City Grand Prix

      Venue: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City
      Friday, October 29: Practice 1 (5.30pm), Practice 2 (9pm)
      Saturday, October 30: Practice 3 (5pm), Qualifying (8pm)
      Sunday, October 31: Race (7pm)

      🇧🇷 Brazil Grand Prix

      Venue: Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Interlagos
      Friday, November 5: Practice 1 (2.30pm), Practice 2 (6pm)
      Saturday, November 6: Practice 3 (3pm), SPRINT RACE (6PM)
      Sunday, November 7: Race (5pm)

      🇦🇺 Australian Grand Prix

      Venue: Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
      Friday, November 19: Practice 1 (1.30am), Practice 2 (5am)
      Saturday, November 20: Practice 3 (3am), Qualifying (6am)
      Sunday, November 21: Race (6am)

      🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix

      Venue: Jeddah Street Circuit
      Friday, December 3: Practice 1 (12.30pm), Practice 2 (4pm)
      Saturday, December 4: Practice 3 (1pm), Qualifying (4pm)
      Sunday, December 5: Race (4pm)

      🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

      Venue: Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island
      Friday, December 10: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, December 11: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, December 12: Race (1pm) More

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      Lewis Hamilton begins talks with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff over new contract with current £40m deal expiring this winter

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has started negotiations with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff over a new deal for next season.The 36-year-old is out of contract at the end of the year after only agreeing a 10-month deal in February, worth around £40million.
      Lewis Hamilton is negotiating his 2022 contract while chasing Max VerstappenCredit: Getty
      The Brit had maintained that he was keeping his options open but has now given a firm indication he wants to continue to fight for championships in 2022.
      When quizzed by SunSport as to whether he had started talks with the team, Hamilton said: “We have begun discussions, and, not a lot to say.
      “It’s just that we have had discussions and things are positive.”
      While Hamilton is trying to resolve his future, his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas remains in the dark as to whether he will be kept on next year.
      The Finn has been off the pace this year and down in fifth place in the drivers’ championship with George Russell likely to replace him.
      However, Hamilton says he would like to see Bottas remain with the team rather than being replaced by Russell.
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      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info

      He added: “Valtteri is my team-mate now, and both of us have had ups and downs in our careers.
      “But as I said he is a fantastic team-mate and I don’t necessarily think that needs to change.”
      When asked to comment on the prospect of Russell joining the team, Hamilton was bullish and said: “He’s not my team-mate currently. So I don’t need to say anything about it.”
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More