Hamilton ready to ‘get in the ring’ over new F1 contract
Lewis Hamilton is anticipat﷽ing a “stressful moment” of contract talks with Mercedes as he looks to “get in the ring” and negotiate his Formula 1 future.
The newly-crowned six-time world champion’s current deal expires at the end of 2020, but Hamilton has recently stressed his desire to extend his spell into the next eraꦯ of regula🙈tions to become a “pioneer” of F1.
Hamilton is expected to sꦚign a new contract with Mercedes, though he revealed he still finds contract negotiations a daunting prospect.
Lewis Hamilton is anticipating a “stressful moment” of contract talks with Mercedes as🍸 he looks to “get in the ring” and negotiate his Formula 1 future.
The newly-crowned six-time world champion’s current deal expires at the end of 2020, but Hamilton has recently stressed his desire to extend his spell into the next era of regulations to become a 🅺“pioneer” of F1.
Hamilton is expected to sign a new contract ღwith Mercedes, though he revealed he still finds 🌞contract negotiations a daunting prospect.
“I’ve obviously considered🃏 the next couple of years,” Hamilton said when he addressed the media ahead of this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
“Naturally I know I want to continue racing, that I love what I’m doing. I see no reason for me to stop anytime soon. But in terms of the future f♉uture, I’ve not planned absolutely everything.
“I only just did this contract and I’ve already got to start potentially talking about the next one, which is frustrating because it’s another stressful moment where you gꦿet into the room, get into the ring, and have a friendly yet intense conversation about terms and all this kind of thing.
“But I’m used to it now and I like to think I’m a relatively good negotiator.”
Hamilton explained how the potential for conflict of interests betwee🐼n both parties is something that weighs on his mind on the eve of starting new talks.
“I think it’s confrontation,𝓀 isn’t it?,” Hamilton re❀plied when asked what he has to be stressed about.
“You’re both waꦜnting to see what more you can get out of it, how you can do things better, there are things that you have to change and it has taken years to change some of the formalit🉐ies that we go through within this team.
“The team has 🎀been amazing,” he added. “Bradley [Lord, head of communications] and his team working around to help lighten the load, make it more impactful. The way I work with the engineers, lots of different things.
"It won’t be really stressful to be honest. But it’s daunting when you think of it coming up because also you’re committing to a period of time in your life. Sometimes itﷺ’s hard to imagine that far ahead.
“B🌜ut of cꦺourse it’s nice to be wanted, so hopefully soon we’ll get it sorted.”
Additional reporting by Julianne Cerasoli.
Lewis regularly attℱends Grands Prix for wuqian0821.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
