Max Verstappen told to quit Red Bull as unique Lewis Hamilton clause leaked

Hamilton opens up on plans to remain in F1 ahead of 2023 season

Lewis Hamilton appears to be closing in on a new and improved contract at Mercedes, with the 38-year-old reportedly expected to sign fresh terms over the coming days. The Brit, who has fallen behind Max Verstappen in the battle for F1 supremacy since losing out to his Red Bull rival in 2021, is only tied down to Mercedes until the end of this year as things stand but has been widely tipped to extend his stay with the team before his existing deal runs out.

Discussions have been taking place behind closed doors over the last few weeks and it seems as though a new deal for Hamilton, which would keep him at Mercedes until the end of the 2025 season, is close to being agreed upon by all parties involved. Toto Wolff revealed earlier this week that he is expecting the matter to be resolved within the next few days and hinted that an announcement could even be made prior to this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.

“It is going to happen soon, and we are talking more days than weeks,” Wolff told CNBC when quizzed on Hamilton’s contract negotiations.

“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.”

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Lewis Hamilton has unique Mercedes clause

Lewis Hamilton will have a special clause in his new Mercedes contract that will see him become a brand ambassador upon his eventual retirement, according to the Daily Mail.

It is said that Hamilton is poised to finalise a multi-year agreement with the Silver Arrows, which is expected to include a salary of around £50m per year.

The deal is reportedly set to be signed over the next few days and could even be announced by Mercedes in advance of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen urged to step away from F1

Jenson Button believes that Max Verstappen will not be able to stake a genuine claim to be considered one of the greatest drivers of all time if he stays in F1 with Red Bull for the rest of his racing career.

“There’s every possibility that Max could go down as the greatest but I like the idea that you can’t be the best driver in the world if you haven’t stepped outside of F1,” Button told The Times.

He also urged Verstappen to follow in the footsteps of Fernando Alonso, adding: “Fernando has done a phenomenal job.

“He left F1 and came and raced in Le Mans and Daytona, won both, then won Le Mans again. I don’t think his performance has dropped away in his forties.”

Good morning

Hello and welcome to Express Sport‘s rolling coverage of the latest F1 news as we continue to look ahead to this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.

We’ll be bringing you the biggest stories from across the paddock throughout the day, so grab a coffee and stay tuned…

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