Lewis Hamilton lays down £42.5m demand as Toto Wolff blasts rival team boss

Lewis Hamilton shows off his impressive surfing skills

Lewis Hamilton’s long-term future in Formula One remains somewhat uncertain ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, with the 38-year-old yet to extend his decade-long stay at Mercedes by signing a new contract. A binding agreement is yet to be reached as things stand, although it would be a major surprise if Hamilton suddenly decides to leave Mercedes after weeks of negotiations behind closed doors.

The Brit is widely expected to eventually put pen to paper on a new deal with the Silver Arrows, with Toto Wolff desperate to retain his services alongside George Russell ahead of next season and beyond. The Mercedes boss said earlier this month that an announcement could be made in a matter of days as opposed to weeks, although Hamilton recently explained that the ‘complex’ nature of the situation may cause further delays before his new contract is signed and sealed.

“We had a good meeting just recently. They are very complex contracts, it’s not just a simple driving contract,” said Hamilton.

“Right now I’m planning to be here and racing for a decent chunk of time. You have just got to explore all avenues in the sense of how you can continue to expand your partnership with such a great organisation. It’s not as easy as just saying ‘go ahead’, and I don’t have to be in a rush.”

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Hamilton lays down £42.5m demand

Lewis Hamilton is asking for a title bonus of £15m as guaranteed income as part of his new Mercedes contract, according to the Daily Mail.

It is said that Hamilton wants the bonus to be paid on top of his base salary of around £27.5m per year.

The report adds that Mercedes are pushing for a one-year deal with the option of a second, although Hamilton wants to become a brand ambassador for a period of 10 years after the end of his driving contract.

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Hello and welcome to Express Sport’s rolling coverage of the latest F1 news ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

We’ll be bringing you the biggest stories throughout the day as we continue to look forward to the next race, so grab a coffee and stay tuned…

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