Hamilton: No doubts about new Mercedes contract
Lewis Hamilton says he plans to extend his Mercedes F1 contract beyond 2018, but the triple world champion is in no rush to finalise a deal with team boss Toto Wolff.
Hamilton is already signed up for next season, and with Sebastian Vettel having recently signed to stay with Ferrari until 2020, Lewis could agree to a similar term – although he says that the German's deal has not impacted his own decision.
"I'm made aware of who contacts the team, and that's down to a great relationship that I have with Toto," Hamilton said ahead of the Italian GP.
"So he's very open with me about who calls. It's kind of interesting sometimes to hear who calls, and who's tried either to take my seat or take the seat next door to me.
"And then to see following those calls, the manoeuvres that happen, such as for example Sebastian signing. I don't know if everyone expected him to sign a three-year deal.
"It doesn't really change much to me, because I planned to extend with the team, which we will do at some point in the second half of the season, or towards the end of the year.
"I know Toto has said that we'll wait until the end of the season, because generally that's what I like to do, there's no rush. I still have another year, so we have a lot of time. I think last contract went all the way into the mid-part of the season."
Hamilton said he has had no contact with other teams, and if he did look around elsewhere, he would tell Wolff.
"There's no rush, and I know the team is fully committed to me, and I've never picked up the phone and spoken to any of those other teams. So I made that very clear to the guys.
"I'm not trying to weigh up my options, and if I was I'd call Toto and say I'm going to due diligence and see what options there are for me. Currently I have no plans to do that.
"It's good for Sebastian that he's signed there. I think all things happen for a reason, and in the kind of plan that I have coming up, my five years, whatever it is, six years that I have left in the sport, that piece of the puzzle is now in place, so it makes my decision moving forward a lot easier."
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