Hamilton relaxed over new Mercedes deal

Lewis Hamilton says he is not concerned that he has yet to sign off on a new Formula One contract with Mercedes.

World champion Lewis Hamilton says he felt "no stress" regarding signing a new Formula One contract with the Mercedes team.

The German motorsport giants' boss Toto Wolff suggested prior to Hamilton's title triumph last season that the 30-year-old British driver would sign a fresh deal as soon as the season was finished.

However, talks have stalled over the past two months as Hamilton has "completely switched off" from Formula One.

But Hamilton said he had no concerns even though he is in the final year of his initial three-season agreement with Mercedes.

"As soon as I left the last race I was at the factory for a couple of days, but I haven't sat down with the team," Hamilton said on Wednesday.

"But we said last year we're not in a rush," he added. "We're relaxed. The team have acknowledged they want to continue with me and vice versa, so there is no stress.

"I'm comfortable and confident and trust they're not speaking to anyone else, and they know that's the case with me."

Last season saw Hamilton win 11 races as he took his second world title but now he wants to match that achievement, starting with the first grand prix of the new season - the Australian Grand Prix on March 15.

"For myself, naturally, and as an athlete I always want to be the best I can be," he said.

"So anything less than what I did last year is not going to be good enough.

"But I can be better. There are going to be 20 races this year, there were eight races that I didn't win (in 2014), so you can always get better.

"I plan to drive the way I drove last year, but hopefully with the knowledge and experience of last year and the growth, with turning 30 and everything.

"Whether it's an inch, a foot, a metre or a mile, I want to try and make sure I'm always moving forward."


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world