Lewis Hamilton contract saga backed to have happy ending because of Mercedes ‘guarantee’

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F1 expert Pino Allievi believes that Lewis Hamilton will remain with Mercedes, despite the current furore that surrounds the world champion. Hamilton is yet to sign a contract with Mercedes for the 2021 season, and with every passing day that the contract remains unsigned, questions surrounding whether he will continue with seven-time constructors’ champions only grow.

Mercedes are the only team that are yet to complete their driver line-up for the upcoming campaign. Hamilton is still expected to take up his place alongside Valtteri Bottas and defend his world title, but doubts have begun to creep in.

Nevertheless, Allievi believes that the saga will have a “happy ending”, just as Mercedes chief Toto Wolff predicted late last year, because of a “guarantee” which may have been made to co-owners INEOS.

”There will be adjustments to be made to the contract, but that is not shocking,” Allievi told Italian media.

“You would assume that an agreement had already been reached in Abu Dhabi, but everything that is going on now is just a play with a happy ending.

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“You don’t think that a big player like INEOS can enter the market without the guarantee that Hamilton will extend his contract.”

Allievi’s comments suggest that Hamilton will eventually tie himself to Mercedes, where he has been irrepressible since his move from McClaren, winning six of the last seven world titles. And his mention of INEOS’ involvement is significant.

INEOS are the new part-owners of Mercedes, purchasing a one-third stake in December.

They have been extremely successful in cycling, taking over from Team Sky in 2019 and immediately winning the Tour de France with Egan Bernal.

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And as Allievi implies, INEOS’ involvement is a heavy hint that Hamilton will also be along for the ride. Such investment without the biggest name in the sport seems hasty and unwise.

In fact, upon the announcement of INEOS’ purchase, CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe heralded Hamilton’s driving skill, even as he reaches his late thirties.

“I am very clear in my mind that Lewis is the greatest or one of the two or three greatest ever racing drivers, there is absolutely no question of that,” he said in December.

“He is a very likeable chap, but all these contract decisions go through Toto, as he runs the team.

“But clearly there has been no diminution of his skills; he is still at the absolute top of his game, despite being 35. There is no sign of any change.”

Hamilton previously expressed his desire to remain with the team in 2021. “I plan to be here. I want to be here,” he said as posted on Mercedes’ Twitter account in December.

“I think we as a team have more to do together and more to achieve, both in the sport but even more outside of it.”

But while Hamilton remains unsigned, doubt persists, even if Mercedes, INEOS, and Allievi all seem confident that a happy ending will be reached.

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