Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton reveals 2021 contract timetable
By Asher Fair
Lewis Hamilton is not under contract with Mercedes for the 2021 Formula 1 season, but that will likely change in the near future.
The Formula 1 driver lineup has seen quite a few changes from the 2020 season to the 2021 season, but throughout all of the chaos, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton remains the top “pending free agent”.
He has still not signed a contract extension with Mercedes since signing a two-year extension back in July of 2018, and with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix having wrapped up the 2020 season at Yas Marina Circuit this past Sunday, the 35-year-old Briton is officially no longer under contract to drive in any more races for the Silver Arrows.
There has been talk of Hamilton potentially hanging up his helmet following the 2020 season given the fact that he has nothing left to prove, having surpassed Michael Schumacher’s wins record and tied his championships record this past year.
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Hamilton and the team have long maintained that it simply hasn’t been the right time to discuss or sign a new deal for next year with everything going on in the world.
But the fact that teammate Valtteri Bottas signed his extension more than four months ago, despite having just nine wins compared to Hamilton’s 42 since the pair became teammates in 2017, only fueled the speculation that Hamilton will not be back in 2021.
George Russell’s impressive run for the team as Hamilton’s replacement in the Sakhir Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit following Hamilton’s positive COVID-19 test further added to that discussion since Russell’s success could potentially “cap” Hamilton’s value.
But Russell himself is under contract with Williams through 2021, and there are no plans to change that.
Hamilton has once again stated that he wants to be back with the team, and they have seconded that claim, and at this point, it appears to be only a matter of time before a return is solidified for 2021.
The goal is to have it solidified by Christmas (Friday, December 25).
Here is what Hamilton had to say about the matter following his season-ending third place finish, according to Motorsport.
"“Hopefully over the next couple of weeks. We would love to get it done before Christmas, I think. I plan to be here next year. I want to be here next year. I think us, as a team, have more to do together and more to achieve both in the sport but even more outside the sport. I hope we can begin this week, discussions, and hopefully get it tied up before Christmas.”"
Here is what team boss Toto Wolff had to add.
"“We will have this conversation. We were delayed. We always said we would do it after the title was won, and then the virus delayed us for another 10 days, two weeks. Now we just have to sit down, maybe virtually, maybe live.”"
Hamilton clinched his seventh world title on Sunday, November 15 in the Turkish Grand Prix at Intercity Istanbul Park and competed in just one more race before testing positive for COVID-19.
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Hamilton was, however, listed on the initial FIA entry list for the 2021 season, so any changes here would be a surprise, despite ongoing rumors that he will be out after the 2020 season. There are two other open seats for next year, one at Red Bull and one at AlphaTauri, and neither one had a driver listed on this entry list.