Freedom more important than salary in Lewis Hamilton’s F1 contract

Lewis Hamilton says freedoms and flexibility in his Mercedes contract is more important to him than the salary he makes as he looks to finalise a new Formula 1 deal. 

Hamilton is entering the eighth and final year of his current Mercedes F1 deal, with the six-time world champion’s contract due to expire at the end of the 2020 season.

The Briton has repeatedly dismissed reports of a switch to Ferrari amid continued speculation and recently insisted that Mercedes remains his “dream team”.

Speaking in an interview with Sky F1 which was recorded earlier this year but released this week, Hamilton opened up about negotiating what could be his final contract to race in F1.

“When I joined the team, I opened up doors to be able to do things like [my] partnership with Tommy [Hilfiger],” Hamilton said.

“If we hadn’t had this earlier discussion, Tommy wouldn’t be a part of our team, I wouldn’t be able to do the great things that I’m doing.

“So just small bits we have to tweak here and there which enable those things, which then don’t take away from the primary goal, which is to win world titles.

“Every year your life is moving and shifting and your plan for your next five years is always different.

“Obviously I’m going into potentially my last period of time in my sport and of course you want to maximise financially but it’s more about results.

“It’s about the journey and the destination and the other things that you’re doing also that complement that.”

Hamilton was joined in the interview by Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, whose own deal runs out at the end of the year. Hamilton says the Austrian’s unique and open management-style has been key in enabling him to flourish while at the German manufacturer.

“I think [he’s] unlike other managers [who] have generally been quite narrow-minded in a lot of things,” Hamilton explained.

“Perhaps no one else would allow me to do, for example, the thing I do with Tommy, which is not conflicting to any of the brands.

“If anything, that’s helped elevate us. We’ve brought a little bit of colour. Before we were a black-and-white team and now we have colours on our shirts which was not a Mercedes way in the past.

“But even Mercedes are becoming a more flexible and more appealing brand. And I think that’s only been good for us.”