"Perfect" Hamilton deserves Schumacher-level contract - Massa

Felipe Massa has stated his belief that Lewis Hamilton deserves to be handed a contract similar to those enjoyed by seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, deals he describes as being "completely different" to those handed to other drivers.

Lewis Hamilton can win his seventh world championship title on Sunday should team-mate Valtteri Bottas fail to outscore him by eight-points. This success would draw the Briton level with Michael Schumacher as the most successful driver in the history of the sport.

Hamilton is yet to sign a new deal to remain with Mercedes beyond the end of the current season, but Massa expects his former rival to sign on the dotted line sooner rather than later.

"I think Lewis, he can’t be tired now so he still has some numbers in front of him to be like the best of the best and he can really be the best of the best and everybody will say that for years and years or maybe decades or whatever," Massa told the F1 Nation podcast.

"So I think Lewis is just preparing his two-three year contract which I think he deserves. What he is doing, he shows that he definitely deserves it, to be different to all of the other drivers in terms of everything, even in terms of salary.

"I remember also when Michael was my team-mate, he was like that. Michael was completely different to everybody in terms of everything, in terms of records, in terms of numbers and in terms of salary compared to everybody.

"For sure, Michael also helped many other drivers to increase their salary, so that’s what Lewis is, in my view, trying to do, and I think he is doing right and he deserves it."

In 2008, Hamilton memorably pipped Massa to the championship title by a single point, passing the Toyota of Timo Glock at the last corner of the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix to bring to a halt the celebrations that had already begun in the Ferrari garage.

While praising the talent of his former rival, Massa conceded he is surprised Hamilton has been able to equal and surpass Schumacher's benchmarks.

"I was never surprised by his talent but, to be honest, I am surprised by the numbers yes.

"Because I remember so well when Michael was my team-mate and he had 91 victories [and] I don’t even remember how many pole positions was his record and, for me, it was impossible that another driver would be able to beat him.

"For sure, ‘impossible’ was not the right word but it was close that somebody could really beat Michael’s record and he [Hamilton] did all of them.

"He’s beaten all of the records so he’s just missing the victories in the championship to beat Michael. He can do it and he deserves it because what he has shown in his career is just amazing."

Of the improvements he has seen in Hamilton throughout the Mercedes driver's career, Massa said: "He has amazing talent, he’s quick and, to be honest, I remember also in the past that Lewis was making some mistakes in the race, he was not using the tyres in the right way. Now he is just unbelievable.

"The races that Valtteri is on pole, during the race he just puts together pace, using the tyres in a way that is just amazing. He’s putting everything together in a perfect way so he definitely deserves what he is having."

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