SIR LEWIS HAMILTON COULD SIGN NEW CONTRACT BEFORE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX SAYS TOTO WOLFF

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Sir Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are just days away from agreeing a new contract and it could be signed ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.

That is according to Silver Arrows boss Toto Wolff who is determined to keep their ‘wonderful friendship’ going.

Hamilton’s contract is up at the end of the season and though the seven-time F1 champion has repeatedly said he wants to sign a new deal, the slow progress of negotiations has lead to speculation he could join a rival or retire altogether.

Adding fuel to the fire has been the continued underperformance of Mercedes’ car in comparison to Red Bull, with Max Verstappen charging towards a third-consecutive title while Hamilton’s last win came back at the end of 2021.

Ferrari had been touted as a potential suitor for the British sporting legend, but he and the Scuderia shut those rumours down, with the 38-year-old revealing that he was set to have another meeting with Wolff after the last race in Spain.

And now, an official announcement looks to be on the horizon with Wolff sharing an update on the negotiations with CNBC: ‘It is going to happen soon, and we are talking more days than weeks.

We are trying hard [to get it done before the Canadian Grand Prix]. I will see him today and maybe we will talk about it.

‘We have such a good relationship that we dread the moment that we need to talk about money.’

Details of the contract are being kept firmly under wraps, though it is said it will be a multi-year deal, while Hamilton currently earns a reported £40million-a-year.

Hamilton has driven for Mercedes for over a decade now and has been associated with them throughout his entire career given their prior partnership with McLaren.

‘From a team’s perspective, Lewis and Mercedes have gone back a long time. He has never raced for any other brand than Mercedes,’ Wolff added.

‘We both joined the team in 2013 together, and from a professional relationship, we now have a friendship. It has been a wonderful time.

‘Lewis is the most important personality in the sport. He is so multi-faceted, not only with the racing, but also off track, so we need to keep him in the sport for as long as possible.’

Mercedes’ pace has improved of late and though he is not expected to catch Verstappen soon, Canada is one of Hamilton’s happiest hunting grounds.

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was the venue for his first F1 win in 2007 and he has gone on to claim a joint-record seven victories there, finishing on the podium in nine of the 13 grand prix he has taken part in.

According to The Action Network, Hamilton is the circuit’s second most successful driver in history behind Michael Schumacher, and with the exception of the great Gilles Villeneuve himself no one has scored more points per race.

 - Callum McAvoy