Do Mercedes feel they have already extracted all of Hamilton's value?

F1 News

26 January 2021 at 07:26
Last update 26 January 2021 at 08:47
  • GPblog.com

Lewis Hamilton has still not signed a new contract for 2021 and that raises many questions. For example, will he eventually sign and why is it taking so long? David Coulthard has some answers.

With less than two months to go before the start of the season, it is a crazy sensation that the 2020 world champion still isn't on the grid. In principle, everyone assumes that Lewis Hamilton will fill this seat in 2021, but why is there still no agreement between the two parties?

Hamilton and Mercedes

''There could be several reasons why the new contract has not been announced yet. It could be that Mercedes feel they have already extracted everything from Hamilton's value. If Lewis wins his eighth title, for whom is that valuable? For Lewis or for Mercedes?," Coulthard wonders to the English Express.

''In the end, it remains business, and nobody is going to spend money because someone is nice or good at something. There has to be an agreement with value for both parties. It could also be about marketing rights. It can be about small details like what brand someone can or cannot have their picture taken with. You can make a whole encyclopaedia with what can be in a contract," concludes the former Formula 1 driver.