The partnership between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes seems to be under pressure for the first time in a long time. The Briton has won six of his seven world titles with the German team, but this season his dominance has completely disappeared.
The partnership between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes seems to be under pressure for the first time in a long time. The Briton has won six of his seven world titles with the German team, but this season his dominance has completely disappeared.
They have yet to chase Red Bull Racing and Ferrari, which raises the question of how long Hamilton will enjoy himself at the top of motorsport. The Mercedes driver currently has a contract until 2023.
Next season he will have to talk to Mercedes again about a new contract, where current performance will certainly be taken into account. Although Mercedes is still uncertain after 2023, its biggest competitor, Red Bull, has already contracted both drivers until at least 2024.
According to Toto Wolff, such long contracts are not an issue at the moment. Moreover, the question of whether Hamilton wants to stay with Mercedes after next season is not yet important, according to the German team boss, he explained at the press conference before the Azerbaijan GP.
"We are happy with Lewis now, but it is too early to talk about 2024." Wolff further explains that he cannot imagine a better driver duo at the moment and that for Mercedes a duo with George Russell and Hamilton is better for the team.
At Mercedes, they will first want to solve the current problems. Where they seemed to have found a solution to the problem in Barcelona and Monaco, the car's quirks have now come back twice as strong on the undulating Baku circuit.