Lewis Hamilton Could ‘Move to Another Team’ if Mercedes Reject Salary Demand Again, Claims Ex F1 Driver

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes finally ended their seemingly never-ending contract saga a few days ago, with the latter making an official announcement about the signing. The final deal was a fairly simple one, stating that the seven-time world champion would race with the Silver Arrows for 2021, in essence, a one-year contract renewal.

Initial reports had suggested that Hamilton wanted a four-year deal and was asking for a lot of other benefits too, such as a cut from the team’s championship earning and also a role in Mercedes‘ electric division. However, the current deal has no such provision, or and Toto Wolff has also dismissed several rumors regarding the negotiation.

It may appear that Hamilton lost out in the contract negotiations and had to yield. However, former F1 driver Christijan Albers believes that the Briton merely played it smart. He thinks that Lewis may have a few tricks up his sleeve.

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RacingNews365 quoted Albers saying, “Lewis came up with a salary and other demands that just don’t fit in this era. Most certainly not in corona time. That’s why they signed a one-year contract.

“He (Hamilton) In the meantime, he hopes that the economy will pick up again and then demand a higher salary. At the moment he just has to agree with Mercedes’ proposal, otherwise he simply would not have driven.”

What the future holds for Hamilton beyond this year is shrouded in mystery. It may even be possible that he calls it quits if he were to win an unprecedented eighth title. However, Albers doesn’t think that it’s likely.

Albers predicts Lewis Hamilton moving to a new team if Mercedes don’t sign him for 2022

The former Minardi driver said, “Lewis is not stopping for the time being. He is so in his element. He often says he is withdrawing, but he likes the show so I don’t see him quit anytime soon. However, I think he will see if during the year. he can move to another team where he could earn more.”

Hamilton certainly does have plenty of gas left in the tank. But a move away from Mercedes seems unlikely, purely because Hamilton would not want to race when he is not competing for the title. Moreover, it’s hard to see any other team being able to afford his enormous wages; he earns more than double that of the second-highest-paid driver.

For now, however, Hamilton remains very much a Mercedes driver. As such, his only goal would be to win another title, both for himself and his team.