[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by Artemis

"Charles Leclerc in Mercedes talks as F1 paddock's "open secret" may impact Lewis Hamilton"
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...-2024-29793844

Mirror is the gutter press of Britain, don't go 100% by what they say.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Charlie will do to Sainz what he did to SEB ...

Then , there's a seat for LEW at Ferrari

I'm not so sure, Carlos will ''really'' get his horns out when pushed into a corner, Charlie may be pushing above his weight there and will he really want to go to Merc if they didn't even listen to HAM what was required at the time of building the 13-14. Chas is better off staying with the devil he knows

[M5Rick]

My hunch was right, it was all speculation that Charlie was speaking to Merc let alone planning to move, he's remaining with Ferrari for the foreseeable future and Steiner has said Hamilton has nowhere to go.
https://www.planetf1.com/news/charle...ture-mercedes/

[Killed by Death]

Hammy doesn't know what a "Zero Pod" is

[Killed by Death]

NO

https://www.grandprix247.com/2023/05...eave-mercedes/

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Killed by Death

NO

https://www.grandprix247.com/2023/05...eave-mercedes/

"The reports also claimed that Ferrari Chairman John Elkann is directly involved in the negotiations, and ready to pay up to $50-Million to ensure the Mercedes veteran puts pen to paper. [...]
One could argue that the extent of Mercedes’ success with the new upgraded car would be a factor in Hamilton making his decision, keeping in mind that it would be a brave decision for the winner of 103 grands prix to head over to Ferrari given the sorry state they are in right now, unless he uses his discussions with Elkann as leverage in his negotiations with Wolff to get him to sign a fat paycheck for the contract extension."

"Report: Ferrari preparing $50M offer to lure Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes"
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/re...-Mercedes.html
""I'd be lying if I said I'd never thought about ending my career anywhere else," Hamilton said at the Miami Grand Prix earlier this month. "I started at McLaren, I'd like to think I'll always be a part of the McLaren family, I started there when I was 13 years old, so I thought about what it would look like if I was at McLaren one day.
"I thought about and watched the Ferrari drivers on the screens at the track and of course you wonder what it would be like to be in red. But then I go to my team, to Mercedes, and this is my home.
"I'm happy where I am. I haven't signed a contract yet, but we are working on one.""

[G30M]

all going according to plan, who doesn't want to drive for Ferrari and pocket 40 million if given the option? i would

[M5Rick]

Will he or won't he, well..
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=fr...id:_KceFHsThjc

[TheGeekGuy]

Originally Posted by g21

all going according to plan, who doesn't want to drive for Ferrari and pocket 40 million if given the option? i would

If it were about money.

[Artemis]

"Hamilton offers update on his F1 future after media reports link him to Ferrari
25 May 2023 - https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...r7Vni31uL.html
Lewis Hamilton has brushed aside speculation over his F1 future in the wake of reports linking him to Ferrari, revealing that a new contract with Mercedes is “almost ready” to be signed.
Hamilton is in the final year of his latest Mercedes agreement, penned back in 2021, with rumours ahead of the Monaco race weekend suggesting that Ferrari were preparing a huge bid to lure him away.
However, the seven-time world champion insists the discussions that began with Mercedes earlier this year remain on track, while denying suggestions of any contact between himself and Ferrari.
“I think naturally when you’re in contract negotiations there’s always going to be speculation,” said Hamilton. “Unless you hear it from me, then that’s what it is.”
As for how his talks with Mercedes are progressing, Hamilton hopes the process will be concluded in the “coming weeks”, continuing: “My team is working closely behind the scenes with Toto [Wolff], we’re almost at the end of having the contract ready.
“Having the team focus on that, so I can just do my job, is a much better position than I was in before. I remember I used to do all the negotiations on my own, and it was very stressful, so I don’t have to do that anymore.”
With one of Ferrari’s two current drivers, Charles Leclerc, also present during Friday’s press conference in Monaco, the home favourite was asked for his take on the reports, and the prospect of racing alongside Hamilton.
“If I say yes, I imagine it being the title of every newspaper!” Leclerc smiled. “I mean Lewis is such an incredible driver and he has achieved so much in the sport.
“I think anybody on the grid would love to have Lewis as a team mate, as everybody will learn a lot from him. But I’m happy where I am and with Carlos [Sainz] it’s a great relationship too.”
Turning the attention back to the on-track action, this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix will see Mercedes introduce their much-awaited upgrade package, which features revised sidepods.
“It will be difficult to see just how it works at this kind of track, but I’m hopeful that it puts us a little bit closer to these guys,” Hamilton said of the changes. “I don’t think we’ll be fighting for a win necessarily, but hopefully we’ll be more in the fight.”
Mercedes head into the Monte Carlo event sitting third in the constructors’ standings, between second-placed Aston Martin and fourth-placed Ferrari, while Hamilton and team mate George Russell hold fourth and sixth in the drivers’ battle."

‘We are not sending him an offer’ – Vasseur issues firm denial over Hamilton-to-Ferrari rumours
26 May 2023 - https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...PVZWDBLvH.html
Frederic Vasseur has made it clear that Ferrari have neither submitted an offer nor held talks with Lewis Hamilton over a potential deal amid a flurry of speculation in the build-up to the Monaco Grand Prix.
Earlier this week, media outlets reported that Ferrari were preparing a bumper contract to present to Hamilton, with the seven-time world champion in the final year of his latest agreement at Mercedes.
However, Hamilton denied there had been any talks with Ferrari, while stressing that a new Mercedes deal is “almost ready” to be signed, adding “there’s always going to be speculation” in the F1 paddock.
Sharing Ferrari’s side of the story, Team Principal Vasseur pointed to recent reports linking his current drivers – Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc – to rival outfits and cracked a joke in response to the latest rumours involving Hamilton.
“I could say two weeks ago you [the media] sent Sainz to Audi and one week ago you sent Leclerc to Mercedes, and now I am alone!” said Vasseur, who was Hamilton’s team boss for his title-winning GP2 season at ART Grand Prix in 2006.
“But you know that at this stage of the season you will have each week a different story. We are not sending an offer to Lewis Hamilton – we didn’t do it.”
Pushed on whether no offer also means no talks, Vasseur, like Hamilton, stated: “We didn’t have discussions. I think every single team on the grid would like to have Hamilton at one stage, but it would be b******t to not say something like this.
“If I have discussed with Hamilton, I have discussed the last 20 years… I have discussed almost every single weekend with Hamilton. I don’t want to have to stop having discussions with him because you are chasing me.”
Ferrari pair Sainz and Leclerc are both contracted through 2024 and Vasseur added that the time for conversations over their futures will come in due course.
“I told you last week or two weeks ago that the most important for us is to stay focused on the development and the current season,” added Vasseur. “In a couple of months, we’ll have a slot to discuss about the future, and it will be time to discuss.”

[Marcoose]

Translation: the contract is already signed, with an out clause if Mercedes beat Ferrari's offer.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Marcoose

Translation: the contract is already signed, with an out clause if Mercedes beat Ferrari's offer.

Mere guess: the Vasseur quote "We are not sending an offer to Lewis Hamilton – we didn’t do it" is not incompatible with the possibility that Hamilton has let Ferrari know that he's 'available' for $XY million and prepared to learn to properly pronounce "Grazie ragazzi - Forza Ferrari !".

Not sure what's going on down at Mercedes. Wolff keeps repeating how valuable Hamilton is for Mercedes, but didn't sign him yet for 2024. My guess: Hamilton stays at Mercedes if he's prepared to accept a financial haircut or an even more variable income based on podium results (as incentive).

IMHO Hamilton has no bargaining power - all depends whether the 12-year younger Leclerc is willing to join Mercedes. If Leclerc bites the bullet, Hamilton loses his Mercedes seat.

[Artemis]

Hamilton told the press last weekend that he would meet with Toto Wolff last Monday for yet another meeting discussing the possibility of a contract extension.

So far no news if anything materialized from that meeting.

"Hamilton offers fresh Mercedes contract update as he prepares for Monday meeting with Wolff" (June 5, 2023):
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...wPA6jg9GO.html

[M5Rick]

The silence is deafening since Monday, everyone should work out that naturally $XX is on the table and he wants $XXX and Fred could be telling a porkie saying no offer was made to LEW.

[a5m]

Idk why anyone thinks he'll go anywhere other than Mercedes. Especially with their performance last weekend he ain't going nowhere.

[M5Rick]

^ He's been with them so long that if he did I think that Wolff would publicly cry, so he will remain with them.

[M5Rick]

Latest is that there is a stalemate between Wolff and hammy with Wolff carrying on as if everything is fine.
A new rule in the making soon to be decided on concerning tyre warmers which could be banned for 'climate change' reasons due to huge power surges they cause may be one of the reasons for this as hammy has already said the racing will be more dangerous if implemented.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

Latest is that there is a stalemate between Wolff and hammy with Wolff carrying on as if everything is fine.
A new rule in the making soon to be decided on concerning tyre warmers which could be banned for 'climate change' reasons due to huge power surges they cause may be one of the reasons for this as hammy has already said the racing will be more dangerous if implemented.

IMHO it's just about the financial 'haircut' Hamilton has to accept, as results are no longer as evident as in the glory period with the Mercedes rocket facilitating WDC and WCC. The 'Verstappen - Newey's Red Bull car' combo will likely remain a major obstacle for Hamilton's road map to an 8th WDC.

And/or extension duration: 1 year, 2 years or 1 year with an option of another year based on results.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by Artemis

IMHO it's just about the financial 'haircut' Hamilton has to accept, as results are no longer as evident as in the glory period with the Mercedes rocket facilitating WDC and WCC. The 'Verstappen - Newey's Red Bull car' combo will likely remain a major obstacle for Hamilton's road map to an 8th WDC.

And/or extension duration: 1 year, 2 years or 1 year with an option of another year based on results.

None of us know what has been discussed exactly but as the years go by I would imagine that Hamilton is also concerned about his safety, of course the money deal is being banded about and also his concern if tyre warmers are withdrawn..he may be waiting for the coming vote on that as well.
Also he wants more assurance that the '24 Merc chassis will be a closer match for the RB.

[GuidoK]

I wonder what the status quo is with Hammy's contract to Mercedes.

I saw this article dated 24 may that, according to Helmut Marko, Hammy's main point is that he wants to earn more than Max:
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/20678...id-driver.html

So this is 1 month before rumoured details about Hammy's mega proposal to Mercedes (£50/year for 5 years I believe?)

Marko migth be right on this one.

[Marcoose]

A bit greedy, but understanding. Hamilton has more wins, podiums and championships than anyone else. That commands a premium. And easily another 5 years of highly competitive racing and car development ahead of him. (See Alonso.)

[Killed by Death]

Originally Posted by Marcoose

A bit greedy, but understanding. Hamilton has more wins, podiums and championships than anyone else. That commands a premium. And easily another 5 years of highly competitive racing and car development ahead of him. (See Alonso.)

it's only greedy if they refuse to pay it

both parties have the opportunity to walk.