Lewis Hamilton "in a good place" with Mercedes - Toto Wolff

Mercedes

Hamilton "in a good place" with Mercedes - Wolff

Six-time champion closing in on signing a new deal

Ian Parkes

Wednesday 13 May 2020 11:04 Updated: 11:11

Lewis Hamilton is understood to be closing in on signing a new Formula 1 contract with Mercedes.

Following Sebastian Vettel's announcement on Tuesday that he would be leaving Ferrari at the end of this season, speculation naturally soon focused as to his replacement.

Hamilton's name was naturally one of those thrown into the ring as the six-time champion is out of contract at the end of the season.

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But asked by GPFans about Hamilton's contract situation, Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff said: "With Lewis, we are in a good place."

The likelihood is Hamilton will soon put pen to paper on a new deal that will tie him to Mercedes for at least another two years.

Hamilton indicated in an interview with Martin Brundle and alongside Wolff, that was shot just before the season was due to start in Australia and that aired on Sky recently, that he saw Mercedes as his future.

At the time, the 35-year-old said: "I've not seen what Mercedes has done for all their drivers. Sir Stirling Moss was a part of the team, but they honour that and you become a part of a legacy, and a life-long partner, which is super appealing.

"A lot of the plans Mercedes has in moving forward, and something which is really important for me is sustainability and the impact we are having.

"Our footprint, for example, we're working very closely on how we can be the pioneers within Formula 1, to be a carbon-neutral team, working with Mercedes on their goal for 2039, to really be the pioneering leaders, and I want to be a part of that.

"Naturally we all have to be aligned, and I think we have that."

Brundle believes he saw enough in that interview to indicate to him that Hamilton is going nowhere.

"I think he made it quite clear when we did the interview with him on Sky F1 that Mercedes is his future, both inside of the cockpit and outside of it, into the future, the distant future," said Brundle.

"I think Lewis has publicly said he doesn't want to break his ties with Mercedes Benz. Every race he's ever won in Formula 1, whether it be in a McLaren or a Mercedes, had a Mercedes engine, and there's something he can build on in the future.

"He point-blank says he doesn't want to take the Ferrari route."

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