'Every team on the grid wants Lewis Hamilton'

McLaren executive director Zak Brown has been discussing the future of Lewis Hamilton in F1, and stated that there is no team in the sport that would not want to make the world champion an offer should he want to leave Mercedes.

Hamilton's current contract expires at the end of the 2018 season and despite all evidence suggesting that he will sign a new four-year deal, thought to be in the region of £130m.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff remain confident that their No. 1 isn't going anywhere, but until the contract is made official, speculation will continue to mount.

Speaking on the topic, Brown said of Hamilton: "I don’t think there’s a team in the pit lane that wouldn’t be interested in having Lewis drive for them, us included. If anyone got Lewis, it would be great for the team. He has a great history here and he is very friendly with the shareholders.”

”I am going to guess that he’s contemplating how much longer he wants to go. If you’re Lewis, with what you’ve done with Mercedes and where Mercedes are headed, you’d re-sign with the team. He’s talked about when he stops, so that would be my guess. I can’t imagine it’s money or the quality of the team.

Brown also feels though that the lack of official announcement could merely be a smokescreen, and that Hamilton's future has already long been secured, adding that he holds the power to delay as long as he likes.

Crash.net reports that he added: "”He just might be going ‘let me see how this year goes, what’s the rush? They’re not going to sell the seat from underneath me’. That would be my speculation. We might find they actually have signed and are just not telling us.”