Lewis Hamilton or Toto Wolff—Who Emerged as the Winner After Intense Contract Negotiations?

The future of Lewis Hamilton with Mercedes and in Formula 1 has been shrouded in uncertainty since the start of the 2023 season. With the seven-time champion’s contract with the Brackley outfit expiring at the end of this season, contract negotiations between him and Toto Wolff have been almost a constant. Considering Mercedes has been Hamilton’s home for the past decade, and both parties seem to want to continue their partnership, the negotiations shouldn’t have been up in the air. Until recently, that was the case, but now, Hamilton might’ve finally put pen to paper.

After Wolff and Hamilton reiterated, “There is no negotiation left. It is all just small bits,” reports speculate that Mercedes has signed a two-year extension with the Brit, which most likely will be announced at the Dutch GP. If the rumors are true, it begs the question: Who got the better end of the deal? Toto Wolff or Lewis Hamilton?

Toto Wolff has played his cards well against Lewis Hamilton

Earlier this season, reports claimed that Hamilton was betting on a five-year extension with Mercedes (with a $63 million a year salary), even though Mercedes was ready to offer him only a guaranteed one-year deal with the option to extend it another year. From the looks of it, Wolff has gotten his way because Hamilton has been rumored to have been offered this exact deal. Before we delve into the actual contract, though, we can’t talk about the Mercedes Ambassador role Hamilton suggested he get.

When the seven-time champion realized the possibility of a five-year extension wasn’t likely, he suggested he get a 10-year post-career Mercedes ambassadorial role that would pay him $25 million per year. The German giants and Wolff rejected the suggestion without even giving it too much consideration. While having Hamilton stick around would do wonders for Mercedes’ brand image, paying him for just being their ambassador without even driving their car didn’t make sense.

Coming back to the contract. Wolff and Hamilton have formed an amicable partnership over the years, but with the terms of the rumored agreement, a few trust issues have come to light. Mercedes hasn’t been able to give Hamilton a race-winning car in the past couple of seasons. Despite that, his teammate George Russell not only out-scored him in 2022 but also gave Mercedes its only win in two years. The escape clause in Hamilton’s contract allows both parties to terminate it if they’re not happy. Hamilton terminating the agreement would mean he’d be without an F1 seat, whereas Mercedes could always get a new driver. Therefore, the escape clause is in Mercedes’ favor as well.

Read More: Amidst Lewis Hamilton Signing New Deal, Mercedes Instructed to Terminate George Russell’s Contract

Finally, Hamilton knows he’s at the fag end of his career and would want to continue as long as he can. A five-year deal would’ve secured his place in Mercedes until 2028, but that would’ve gone against every team’s ideology—to invest and grow younger talent. At the end of the day, they’re the ones who the older generation will pass the baton to. Mercedes seems to believe that as well.

Toto Wolff & Co. believe in George Russell

Hamilton’s contract negotiations have taken up the majority of discussions regarding Mercedes in the F1 Paddock. That doesn’t mean that the Brackley outfit has stopped focusing on Russell. Contrary to that, Mercedes’ engineering director Andrew Shovlin revealed his faith in the young Brit. Despite Hamilton’s uncertain future in Mercedes, Shovlin acknowledged Russell for his talent. He said, “George is an extremely professional driver who is working very, very hard. And he’s one of those who will undoubtedly win a championship sooner or later, as long as we can get him a suitable car.”

The W14 this season has had erratic performances, and although Hamilton has been expressing his disregard for the same, Russell is doing what the team wants from him without showing any signs of trust issues. While discussing Mercedes’ efforts to return to the front with Russell, Shovlin added, “We are obviously working hard to achieve this, but George is a very technical rider who adapts well to the different conditions. He is super focused on his work, and there is no doubt that he will be part of our successes in the future.”

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Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff’s contract negotiations were intense, to say the least. With back and forth throughout the year, it looks like they’ve finally come to an agreement—one that seems to have Wolff benefitted from. Who do you think got the short end of the straw?