Lewis Hamilton reveals he DOES want to sign new Mercedes contract and hints it will be completed when F1 title is sealed
LEWIS HAMILTON has stated that he DOES want to continue in Formula One as he hunts down another of Michael Schumacher’s records.
A 77-point lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship looks to be unassailable in his pursuit of a seventh world title.
That would draw the Brit level with Ferrari legend Schumacher, whose 91 race wins Hamilton topped with victory in Portugal last weekend.
After that race, Hamilton insisted Mercedes’ dominance of the sport can continue – with himself behind the wheel.
The six-time champ told Sky Sports: “I definitely don’t think it’s over.
“I want to continue.
“I think once we get the job done and the stress of the bubble and everything passes on, we can get to whatever comfortable or uncomfortable position we need to be in and we’ll get it done so we can continue.”
Hamilton, 35, has admitted that it is ‘not going to be a long time’ before he hangs up his steering wheel.
With his current £40million-a-year contract up at the end of the season, the star admitted he was not previously in the right headspace to sit down with Merc boss Toto Wolff and thrash out a deal.
Yet, with the hindsight of the coronavirus pandemic, he does acknowledge that it may have been a good idea to sign on a year ago.
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Hamilton noted: “Naturally I think already last year, in Hungary last year I think Toto was talking about signing a contract.
“Of course the pandemic wasn’t then and you look back and you’re like maybe I should have signed it then.
“But the thing is I just think things happen at the right time and I definitely wasn’t ready mentally at the time.
“I wanted to give myself the space mentally to really think about what I want to do, think if there’s any adjustments for me and for the team, how can we get more out of each other – how can I give them an easier time.”