Lewis Hamilton has suggested he might not negotiate his own contracts in future after difficulties in completing a new deal with Mercedes.
Hamilton, whose three-year agreement runs out at the end of the year, took on the responsibility of thrashing out fresh terms after ending his association with Simon Fuller’s XIX Entertainment late last year.
After last month’s Malaysian Grand Prix, the world champion said the new deal was “99.6%” done. But after another delay, he said here here on Thursday: “It’s back and forth, back and forth. There are things that are done, there are things that are not done. I thought it was going to be done after Malaysia, but there are things that still need to be done.
“There were certain things I didn’t read, I thought it would be quick. Then I realised that there were a lot of things that needed to do. I’m reading parts when I have time to read. You send stuff off and it might take two days to come back. Then you digest it and you send it back. You think about your comments and speak to your lawyer, then you send your comments back. And vice versa.”
The 30-year-old denied the talks were a distraction but when he was asked if he would do the same thing again he said: “I might find a different solution.” Earlier he had told Sky Sports the protracted talks were “a pain in the backside”.
Hamilton’s former McLaren team-mate Jenson Button said he would never consider negotiating his own contract, adding: “My manager [Richard Goddard] is bloody amazing. I don’t think there’s anyone else like him. He’s definitely got my best interest at heart, so I’m in a very privileged position. But then if you’re not in a position where you’re confident that they are going to do a good job for you, it’s different.
“Contracts are not simple, especially when you’re a racing driver. It’s not written in English most of the time. It is not easy. The wording has to be 100% correct. It’s tricky for a driver when a team is that competitive. Because he’s obviously asking for something which is above what he had before, and the team will go, ‘we don’t need to pay you that. If you’re not here, then the other guy will win the races that you won.’ It’s a tricky situation. It’s not something you want to discuss during the season.
“He [Hamilton] seems to be good in the head, confident. That’s the important thing.”
Hamilton is almost certain to reach a deal with Mercedes but until he does speculation linking him with a move to Ferrari will not go away. Button believes Hamilton should stay where he is. “Mercedes are not always going to be winning but one race ago you wouldn’t even have asked that question. They were so far in front of anyone,” he said.
Fernando Alonso has said he would be happy to see Ferrari fail to win the world championship because it would confirm he had made the right decision to quit the Maranello team. I was second in the championship with Ferrari three times and I didn’t want to be second for a fourth time. If they win the championship, I might have another opinion on leaving. But if they are second or third, I am happy with my decision,” said the Spaniard.
For the moment the McLaren driver would be happy just to finish a race with his troubled team. “Obviously I would like to win because we are sportsmen and we are all competitive, but also thanks to this age, and thanks to the moment of your career, you start looking for other things,” he added.
