There are traditions that continue to be respected despite an ever-changing calendar. At the time of the Monaco Grand Prix, the still open boxes of the driver market begin to fill up, even if in reality this season the scenario of expiring contracts is very limited. Mercedes is holding the court, which is in negotiation with both drivers for the extension. What ignites the curiosity is above all the future of Lewis Hamilton, given that the renewal of George Russell is taken for granted as the team has an option in favor of him.
The silence that reigns around the decision that Hamilton and Mercedes will make means that every spark ignites a fire, and it is not surprising the uproar that has aroused the rumors coming from England regarding an alleged negotiation between Lewis and Ferrari. Imagining this scenario as real for an instant, one should see the collapse of many situations (contractual and otherwise) cemented in recent years.
The first irrefutable fact is that Ferrari has two drivers under contract (expiring at the end of 2024) and although it has happened in the past that the relationship between the Scuderia and one of its drivers ended before the deadline, today there do not seem to be any critical issues such as trigger a decision of this magnitude. The problem they have to deal with in Maranello is the competitiveness of the SF-23, the two pilots are not in discussion and it is not a front on which an intervention would lead to an immediate recovery.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal with Lewis Hamilton
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
It could be a fascinating idea for Hamilton, who at 38 now sees the end of his career on the horizon, but it would still not be a choice without contraindications. Lewis has emphasized his bond with Mercedes dozens of times since he started racing in single-seaters, a relationship that has extended to the point of sharing initiatives he cares deeply about such as the LH44 charity, a program born together with the German company and funded by both parties.
Lewis also knows that ending his career with Mercedes would mean securing a contract as a brand ambassador in the following years, an opportunity he would lose by wearing other colours.
One thing is certain, however, which is that all the market rumors that suggest him in other teams end up increasing Hamilton’s power when he gets to the final squeeze with Mercedes. And here we come to a concrete point. The renewal will most likely come, but it doesn’t seem to be a formality like it has been on other occasions, for several reasons.
The future of the team is George Russell, who will receive a substantial salary increase, and probably not everyone on the Stuttgart-Brackley axis is convinced that they recognize Lewis as much as he has received in recent seasons.
Although the figures are always very considerable, there are whispers of a lower offer, something the seven-time world champion does not like. Another point is the duration of the contract, and even here the rumors don’t describe an idyllic situation for Hamilton, who would like a two-year contract instead of a single season that would interest the team. There are some critical issues, and in this situation being able to put an alternative on the table becomes an important weapon. All this, perhaps, with Ferrari being used as a useful tool for the cause rather than a real opportunity.
#Hamilton #stirs #waters #market #bait #Ferrari