Lewis Hamilton contract: Seven-time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton’s future with Mercedes is in doubt after 2023 season. Reports have claimed that the F1 team is planning to offer a reduced salary to the British driver due to F1’s new driver’s salary cap which was suggested back in 2022. According to Martin Brundle, the issue of payment reduction could pose a significant challenge for Mercedes as they are currently in negotiations with Lewis Hamilton to renew his contract with the team. Follow Formula 1 LIVE Updates with InsideSport.IN.
Hamilton, whose net worth is over $285 million, could potentially face a substantial decrease in salary if the driver’s salary cap budget is applied from next season.
Brundle suggests that the team’s hierarchy is under pressure to decrease Hamilton’s salary. It’s worth noting that Hamilton is contracted with the Silver Arrows until the end of the 2023 F1 season.
Mercedes has failed to produce a championship contender for the past two seasons, and the new W14 challenger has only added to their woes. It is now the fourth fastest car in the sport, lagging behind Red Bull, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. Hamilton has not shied away from blaming the team for the underperformance of the W14.
🚨 Toto Wolff has confirmed that he has spoken to Lewis Hamilton about a new contract at Mercedes but nothing is confirmed as yet. #F1 #W14 #LewisHamilton pic.twitter.com/Vk62tjwOZV
— AnythingF1 (@AnythingF1_) February 15, 2023
Speaking after finishing fifth in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Hamilton once again criticised the car and suggested some changes to the rear end.
“We’re a long way down on downforce,” explained Hamilton. “So we’ve got to pick up the rear end downforce particularly.
“The more rear we gain, the more stable the rear becomes, and the more confident I’ll be able to attack. But I think in general, just this car, even if we do change that, there’s a specific thing with something on the car that I have never had before.”
“It’s a position I’ve not had in previous years’ cars. For me, it’s the thing that is making me uncomfortable. I’ve just got to work hard to make sure it is changed.”
Hamilton also praised the rival Red Bull RB-19 car and admitted that he has never seen a car so fast.
“I have definitely never seen a car so fast,” Hamilton said after the race. “When we were fast, we were not that fast. It is the fastest car I have seen, especially compared to the rest.
“I don’t know how, but he [Verstappen] came past me with some serious speed and I didn’t even bother to block him because there was a massive speed difference”, admitted Hamilton after the race.
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