Lewis Hamilton contract situation ‘unpleasant’ as support grows for George Russell

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The majority of British F1 fans don’t want to see Lewis Hamilton drive for Mercedes in 2021, according to F1 commentator Alexey Popov. Hamilton’s contract saga has dominated the F1 offseason with the seven-time world champion technically a free agent.

Mercedes and Hamilton have both maintained confidence and expectation that a new deal will eventually be agreed.

A deadline of early March has been set, giving both parties just a matter of weeks to get an agreement in place.

And while the expectation is for Hamilton to continue in his seat for Mercedes this season, the lack of progress in talks has led to speculation over a possible replacement.

George Russell has long been touted for a seat at Mercedes and his drive at the Sakhir Grand Prix in Hamilton’s car led to further suggestions of potentially promoting him a year earlier than anticipated.

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His contract at Williams doesn’t expire until the end of 2021 and Toto Wolff has repeatedly stated that Mercedes intend to honour those terms.

But that hasn’t stopped fans speculating over Russell potentially taking a seat at Mercedes this season, particularly with Hamilton yet to sign a new deal.

Popov believes the contract saga has created an “unpleasant” situation for Hamilton ahead of the new season.

And he even suggests that the majority of British F1 fans would prefer to see Russell take his seat this year.

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“I thought, like Bernie Ecclestone did, that this was all a marketing ploy so that people would talk about Mercedes,” the Match TV broadcaster said.

“But it seems like 80 per cent of British people don’t want to see Hamilton in that car this season.

“Maybe it’s because it would be a British driver to replace him.

“Anyway, the situation is quite unpleasant for Lewis.”

Hamilton has recently come out and admitted he will quit the sport when he stops enjoying racing.

“You’ve got to find what you’re passionate about and what you love doing, and me personally, in my journey, there was a point where it just got too serious,” Hamilton told the Formula for Success podcast.

“We only have one life. You have to enjoy what you’re doing. You’ve got to find happiness every day in what you are doing and I think that has been really important for me to be able to live in the moment.

“Yes, it’s a competitive space that I’m in, but damn when I get in that car and put down the visor and the team start up the car and I leave the garage, I have the biggest smile. Even today, after all these years of racing.

“If there’s ever a day that that doesn’t happen, I don’t get that smile, I know that it’s done and I need to move on to something else.”

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