F1 | Hamilton urges Mercedes for the 2021 deal to be ready before Christmas
After having delayed deal talks until the end of the season, the reigning World Champion wants to have his new deal ready before Christmas
The 2020 season of Formula 1 has just ended but the new one is approaching quickly. Lewis Hamilton indeed, had always declined the Mercedes’ talks about his new deal for 2021 but now it is time for him to set it up.
That’s a wrap for the season! 💨🏁Gotta say a massive thanks to my team. It’s been one hell of a year with you guys and I’m so grateful for everything we’ve accomplished together. Let’s keep making #HIS7ORY together🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/KTK7YBZQOT
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) December 13, 2020
Both Hamilton and Mercedes said openly that the delays of the renewals were just to find a meeting point in between, as no one of them wanted to put this advantageous relationship - that counts 74 race wins and 6 World Championships- to an end. Therefore, the deal only misses the Briton signature on it.
Hamilton is eager to set it all up though, and quickly. The two parts, the driver and the teams, were just talking about the details of the deal during the last races but Hamilton’s positivity to Covid-19 had slowed the talks down a lot, only providing “baby steps” that could lead to the final deal. The Briton admitted he is longing for having the last details cleared up and tie that deal up right before Christmas.
“Hopefully over the next couple of weeks- the Mercedes driver pointed out - We would love to get it done before Christmas, I think. I plan to be here next year. I want to be here next year. I think us, as a team, have more to do together and more to achieve both in the sport but even more outside the sport. I hope we can begin this week, discussions, and hopefully get it tied up before Christmas."
Mercedes replies to Hamilton’s hurry with calm, pointing out that there is no reason to not wanting to keep up the good work together in 2021 as well, and Toto Wolff explains that the chat is so late only because Hamilton’s Covid-19 positivity avoided the meeting between them and he was waiting for the driver to be healthy again.
“We will have this conversation,- Mercedes’ team principal assures- We were delayed. We always said we would do it after the title was won, and then the virus delayed us for another 10 days, two weeks. Now we just have to sit down, maybe virtually, maybe live."
If the predictions will be true, we would already have the 2021 drivers line-up set up, except Red Bull and Alpha Tauri.
