McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes that he knows where four-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton will end up in the 2019 season.
In light of the recent talk about the fact that four-time Formula 1 champion has still not signed a new contract to remain with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport beyond the conclusion of the 2018 season, McLaren CEO Zak Brown made clear where he thinks Hamilton will end up next year.
Brown, like most people, believes that Hamilton will end up signing a new contract to remain with Mercedes through at least the 2019 season, which would be his 13th in the sport and seventh as a driver for the Mercedes factory team.
Here is what Brown had to say about the matter, according to ESPN.
"“I’d be very surprised if Lewis wasn’t in a Mercedes next year. So I’m of the view that it’s just a matter of time before until the arm-wrestling…someone wins. But I think Lewis will be in a Mercedes next year.”"
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Brown’s comments come in light of recent comments made by Aston Martin Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner stating that he believes Hamilton’s “grotesque” money demands are what are holding up a potential new contract between he and Mercedes.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff responded to both the comments of Horner and Brown by reiterating what he stated weeks ago that there are no underlying issues delaying the process of Hamilton signing a new contract with Mercedes and that he and the team have simply not had the time to sit down and discuss it. He reiterated that there is no pressure on either side to reach an agreement at this point in time.
Hamilton, whose career Formula 1 championship total of four is tied for third place on the all-time titles list with the championship total of Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, signed a three-year deal worth roughly $150 million with Mercedes in the 2015 season, his third season with the team, so he is set to become a free agent at the end of this season if Brown is incorrect and he and the team do not agree on a new contract.
Hamilton also has a career Formula 1 victory total of 64, which ranks second on the all-time wins list behind the victory total of the great Michael Schumacher (91), and he has a career Formula 1 pole total of 74, which is an all-time-record that continues to climb.
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Do you believe that Zak Brown will end up being correct and Lewis Hamilton will end up signing a new contract to continue driving for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport in the 2019 Formula 1 season and perhaps longer, or do you disagree with Brown and believe that Hamilton will either end up driving for another team or possibly even retire?