Lewis Hamilton contract: Mercedes tipped to make announcement within five days

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Former Formula One boss Eddie Jordan believes that Mercedes will announce a new Lewis Hamilton contract in the next five days.

Hamilton is yet to sign a new deal with Mercedes, despite equalling Michael Schumacher’s seven world titles last season, six of which have come with Mercedes in the last seven years.

It is said that Hamilton’s wage demands and desire for a multi-year contract are holding up negotiations.

Express Sport understands that the team is confident that a deal will be struck before pre-season testing commences.

And now, Jordan, who ran his own F1 team for 14 years, adds that he expects an announcement to be made before the end of the month.

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“I believe Lewis will be signed within a week. I cannot see it going into February,” he told the PA news agency.

“Where do Mercedes go after Lewis? Of course, they can have the pick of the crop, but that is not the way Toto operates.

“He has increased his shareholding over the winter, brought in INEOS as a one-third shareholder, and he doesn’t want to be walking up and down the paddock with somebody new that he has to think about.

“He wants to be there with the man of the moment, he wants to be there with the king of all kings in Formula One and that is Lewis Hamilton.”

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Hamilton earned £40million per year in his last deal, which expired in December of last year, though it has been reported that he wants to remunerated as he believes a seven-time world champion with his public presence should be.

Meanwhile, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admits that negotiations are still ongoing, with both sides “sending curveballs to the lawyers”.

“We don’t make life easy for them, of course, when we both argue over Zoom and keep sending curveballs to the lawyers,” said Wolff to Austrian broadcaster ORF.

“He’s in America now and I’m here. At some point, we will finalise it (the deal).”

Wolff, though, remains positive that a deal can be completed. “We have a really solid basis in our relationship,” he added.

“We have celebrated great successes together and want to continue doing so in the future. But sometimes you have to talk things out in detail, and that took or still takes us some time.”

Should Hamilton return for the 2021 season, he will be the favourite for the Drivers’ Championship.

He will be gunning for his eighth world title, surpassing Schumacher, who he has now toppled as the racer with the most Grand Prix victories.

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