As anticipation reached its peak on the Canadian Grand Prix, Mercedes and their loyal followers have been anticipating news on the contract extension of the seven-time Formula One champion, Lewis Hamilton.
However, regardless of ongoing talks, the enigmatic driver stored his future playing cards near his chest throughout a news convention in Montreal.
Scheduled to fulfill with Mercedes workforce principal Toto Wolff, who had hinted at an imminent decision, Hamilton was evasive when questioned in regards to the progress of negotiations.
With a wry smile, he quipped, “We’ve never hooked up,” dismissing any rumors of a secret rendezvous. The moderator, making an attempt to extract a extra simple response, humorously requested if the boss and driver had shared a pizza collectively. Hamilton amusingly retorted, “We’ve never had pizza.”
It was clear that the champion was in no temper to expose particulars.
Eventually, Hamilton acknowledged that talks had taken place with none last settlement being reached.
“I’ve seen Toto, we’ve talked several times,” he admitted with a touch of reserve. “Yeah. Nothing else real to really add to it.” While these revelations fell wanting the data promised by Wolff in a latest CNBC interview, the place he assured followers {that a} choice was on the horizon, Hamilton’s reticence left room for hypothesis.
In the interview, Wolff expressed the distinctive bond between Hamilton and the Mercedes workforce.
“It is going to happen soon, and we are talking more days than weeks,” he assured viewers. “We have such a good relation that we dread the moment that we need to talk about money. From a team’s perspective, Lewis and Mercedes have gone back a long time. We both joined the team in 2013 together, and from a professional relation, we now have a friendship. It has been a wonderful time,” Wolff elaborated. “He is the most important personality in the sport. He is so multifaceted, not only in racing but also off the track, so we need to keep him in the sport for as long as possible.”
Hamilton, whose profession started with McLaren, a workforce powered by Mercedes, in 2007, transitioned to the Mercedes workforce in 2013.
Since then, he has claimed a staggering 82 victories, a report in Formula One historical past, with 103 victories general. The British driver has clinched six of his seven championships donning the Silver Arrows.
As the ultimate yr of his present contract loomed, Hamilton has repeatedly expressed his need to lengthen his profession and stay with Mercedes, regardless of persistent rumors of Ferrari’s curiosity.
The Canadian Grand Prix had been earmarked as the right event to announce the contract extension, because it holds sentimental worth for Hamilton.
This iconic race not solely witnessed his maiden F1 victory in 2007 but in addition stands because the venue the place he achieved his record-tying seventh win at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, matching the legendary Michael Schumacher.
Nevertheless, the absence of a concrete timeline for the announcement didn’t faze Hamilton. “I don’t really have a huge amount to say on the contract side of things,” he asserted calmly. “It’ll get done when it’s done. If that’s next week, if that’s in a month’s time, as long as it gets done, it doesn’t really bother me.”
Addressing rumors of a possible transfer to Ferrari, Hamilton has persistently denied any contact from the Italian powerhouse.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, Hamilton maintained an optimistic outlook relating to Mercedes’ latest performances.
The workforce’s shock 2-3 podium end in Spain, with Hamilton and his teammate George Russell, injected renewed vitality into the complete group.
“We’ve been making progress in the car, and the last race was just phenomenal,” Hamilton stated. “We’ve all been buzzing back at the factory; the whole team just has this new energy, and it kind of feels like we have a North Star. We know where we’re going; we know how to get there, so everyone’s just churning away and working as hard as possible.”
Arriving in Canada, Hamilton acknowledged the unpredictability of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and the uncertainty it posed for his workforce.
However, he discovered solace in the potential of opposed climate circumstances, which could favor their efficiency. “We generally don’t know whether this track suits our car and the car’s characteristics, but the weather may change that, and we’ll see,” Hamilton contemplated with an air of pleasure.
Although he has but to safe a victory within the present season, Hamilton expressed no want for a rain dance, given the forecast’s promise of moist climate all through the race weekend.
Meanwhile, Red Bull Racing enters the Canadian Grand Prix with an impeccable report of seven consecutive victories, additional fueling their quest for the monumental a centesimal win.
Max Verstappen, the reigning race champion, is poised to say his forty first profession victory, equaling the legendary Ayrton Senna’s triumphs and leaving a long-lasting impression on F1 historical past.
Praising Verstappen’s accomplishments, Hamilton acknowledged the younger driver’s expertise whereas playfully noting his workforce’s dedication to impede his progress.
“Max has been doing an amazing job. He’s had such an incredible career so far, and he’s for sure going to surpass that,” Hamilton stated. “We’re working on our car so we can slow him down.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com
