29 June 2023 , 05:00
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Damon Hill believes it is Mercedes "bureaucracy" which is causing a delay to contract negotiations with Lewis Hamilton.
The Brit has six months left on his current deal with the team. That fact has sparked plenty of speculation over his future, but it has become more and more clear that Hamilton is keen to continue racing in Formula 1.
More than that, Mercedes seems to be the only option he has considered. Links with a shock Ferrari switch have been persistent, but have never had any substance.
So Hamilton only wants Mercedes and the feeling is mutual. That should make negotiations a doddle – but instead they have now dragged on for months.
Prior to the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, team boss Toto Wolff hinted that an announcement was possibly just days away. After driving to the podium in Montreal, the racer simply said: "It'll be done when it's done."
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Mirror Sport understands that confirmation of the extension is not expected imminently. And 1996 world champion Hill has a theory as to why the whole saga is stretching out for so long.
"The talk is that Lewis is finalising a much longer-term deal that goes beyond his racing career," the Sky Sports F1 pundit told the Press Association. "The car company itself is involved, so there is a bit more bureaucracy in this deal."
Just 18 months ago, there were plenty of doubts over Hamilton's future in F1. His public silence in the months after the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale to the 2021 title race led to many assumptions that he would retire, though of course the Brit chose to carry on.
Damon Hill thinks he knows why Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes extension is taking so long (Getty Images)Hill said Hamilton's resilience in those circumstances was "admirable" and asserted that the seven-time world champion has hit a new level since, even if his Mercedes team's competitiveness has declined. "He is starting to gel with that car now and he has solved some of the problems he faced," he added.
"So I would be amazed if he doesn’t want to go out on a high by winning that eighth title, and he is absolutely motivated by that. He has got that longevity and he looks after himself.
"He needs a competitive car, half-a-chance, and someone like Lewis will rise up to that challenge and find more in himself. At the moment we are seeing a happier Hamilton, and a happy Hamilton is a fast Hamilton."