Lewis Hamilton: Jenson Button urges Mercedes man to sign new deal: 'Just get it done'

Lewis Hamilton

Button urges Hamilton to sign new deal: 'Just get it done'

The six-time world champion's current contract runs out at the end of this season

Martin Macdonald

Wednesday 26 February 2020 11:20

Jenson Button wants Lewis Hamilton to finally put pen to paper on a new Mercedes deal so the focus can get back on the racing for his compatriot, as well as the Silver Arrows.

Hamilton is currently the highest paid driver on the grid in Formula 1, but his current contract runs out at the conclusion of the 2020 season, with him yet to determine whether he will stay with Mercedes, or even stay in the sport.

Button thinks the contract uncertainty is an unneeded distraction, and that both parties should get the deal done as soon as possible.

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“It’s just talked up more than it should be because they’re both in a great situation,” the 2009 world champion told the Associated Press.

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“It should be the easiest contract to talk about because (of what) they’ve both achieved. So just make it happen, and we can focus on the actual racing.”

Button insists that the whole of the United Kingdom is behind Hamilton in his quest to equal Schumacher’s record, but is hoping that it comes via a competitive championship in 2020 with both Ferrari and Red Bull making it a challenge.

“The whole of the U.K. hopes that (Hamilton) does achieve that (record), but I think everyone hopes that it’s not just to walk in the park,” he explained.

“You can’t just give it to Lewis. We need Ferrari, we need Red Bull to challenge him.

“One, because it’s a sport. We want to see excitement, we want to see challenge, and we want to get people interested in this sport that maybe haven’t been interested in the past.”

Hamilton won the 2019 world championship with relative ease, earning 413 points compared to the 326 of his nearest rival, Valtteri Bottas.