Could Hamilton be pricing himself out of Mercedes?

Helmut Marko says that Lewis Hamilton's wage demands are pricing him out of the Mercedes Formula One team and that only Ferrari could possibly afford the six-time champion.

With Ferrari locking Charles Leclerc into a long-term deal and Max Verstappen signing an extension at Red Bull, opportunities with other front running teams are few and far between for Hamilton.

Head of Red Bull's driver development program, Marko told Autobild that, while he recognises the value, both in the car and in terms of marketing, the €55million-a-year wage demands of Hamilton are too steep even for an F1 team.

"Lewis is a six-time world champion and very important to Mercedes in both sport and marketing," Marko told Autobild.

"I think he realises very well what his value is and that he is asking for such compensation. With the bonuses he receives for a GP victory, I think he can certainly reach that sum of money."

The Austrian added, "I believe there is not a single team on the grid, not even Mercedes, that is willing to pay such amounts purely for a driver. Except Ferrari."

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