Posted on 20th May 2015
It has been announced to the media this morning that the saga surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s new contract with the Mercedes team is finally over after signing a new three year deal with the team.
The 30-year-old will now remain at Mercedes until at least the end of 2018 and thereby ending months of speculation over his future and whether he would remain with the team beyond the end of this year.
It was speculated in the paddock that Mercedes and Hamilton were poised to reveal their new contract later in the day in Monaco. But in an interview with Autosport, Hamilton has expressed his delight in signing his new deal and is happy to be at the Mercedes team for another three years. Hamilton stated the following:-
‘Mercedes is my home and I couldn’t be happier to be staying here for another three years. This is a company filled with real passionate racers, from the board room to the factory floor, and an incredible hunger to win. Even after the success of last year, that hunger is greater than ever – and it’s the same for me, too.
‘The Mercedes car I am driving right now is the best I have ever had in my career; it’s just so much fun to be out there every weekend, on the limit and fighting to win at every track. Mercedes-Benz began supporting me in 1998, so I am very proud this contract means I will mark 20 years with Mercedes in 2018.’
It is great to hear that Hamilton is happy with staying with the Mercedes team until 2018 and why wouldn’t he be? As he points out himself in his interview, Hamilton is driving the best car on the grid, the team have the hunger and the passion that he has to succeed and win and also to celebrate 20 years of his association with the brand is also a great way to repay them for that too.
It would have been stupid of Hamilton not to have resigned with the Mercedes team who have provided him the car and the chances that he never had with his former team McLaren to win races and championships on a regular basis. He is in the best position he could be in and at the moment, the Mercedes team are his best chances of adding more race wins and championships to his tally.
After starting his career in a Mercedes-powered McLaren in 2007, spending six seasons with the team and winning the world title in ’08, Hamilton moved on to the works Mercedes team in 2013. Overall, Hamilton has won 36 grands prix, with 15 of those in a Silver Arrow, adding a second world championship last season with the team.
In his own interview with Autosport, Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff made it a priority to re-sign Hamilton, who it is understood now becomes Britain’s highest-paid sportsman with this latest contract. Wolff stated the following:-
‘Continuity is one of the key factors for delivering success in Formula 1, and we now have that in place. Lewis enjoyed an historic world championship season with Mercedes-Benz last year, and it was a priority for this season to renew his contract for the next term. We have taken the right amount of time with the process and not rushed ourselves.
‘The result is a strong agreement that will enhance Lewis’ association with the Mercedes-Benz brand, and that recognises and respects the market value of Lewis and of Mercedes in Formula 1. Lewis’ sporting track record speaks for itself and he is a great personality for the company. Personally, I am looking forward to continuing to race with the strongest driver pairing in Formula 1, and to more historic achievements together.’
As Wolff rightly says, continuity is one of the key factors to be successful in the sport and now Hamilton’s future is settled, the team can concentrate fully on the racing. Hamilton as Wolff says won the title with the team last season and they needed to secure his future as a result of that which has now been achieved and can put an end to the speculation surrounding Hamilton's future.
As Hamilton stated himself and Wolff to me echoes, the working relationship that Mercedes and Hamilton have is one of significant importance, also they both benefit from it and also they wouldn't have achieved the success that they have acquired in a short period of time. As without each other, they wouldn’t have had the success that they have had and also they wouldn’t be in the position that they are in now and Wolff knows this as well as the Mercedes Benz boardroom.
But overall, it is great news for Hamilton and Mercedes that the deal has been finalised and completed and are both in partnership with each other until 2018. Now all they need to do is concentrate on the racing and ensuring that they continue the levels of success they have achieved together for the foreseeable future. And if things continue the way they are, I could see what they have achieved extending further into the next three years too.
Sarah Jones- @jonesy_laaa
