Lewis Hamilton hits out at Jenson Button and Damon Hill over contract

Lewis Hamilton has denied claims he is holding off signing a new deal until Mercedes proves they can win races. The assumptions were made by British F1 champions Jenson Button and Damon Hill ahead of this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

Hamilton was expected to put pen to paper on a new agreement over the winter but talks are yet to be finalised. However, the seven-time champion suggested he was not ready to walk away from the Silver Arrows despite concerns the team’s one year blip could become long-term.

Hamilton told the Mirror: “It’s mostly people creating rumours without facts. Never helpful. You would have thought they would both know me by now. I’ve been with Mercedes since I was 13. We had a difficult year last year and I’m still here. And whether or not we have a difficult year this year, I’ll still be here. We fight as a team.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admitted the pair had sat down for “a first chat” over a potential new partnership. However, the Austrian denied that the negotiations were “dragging on” with the new season almost here.

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Mercedes struggled in Bahrain’s pre-season test with the team playing down expectations before the start of the 2023 season. Hamilton suffered a damaged floor on Friday which limited his running in one of only three days behind the wheel.

Just hours later, George Russell was forced to stop after a hydraulics failure ended the team’s running 90 minutes earlier than their rivals. The issues concerned Mercedes engineers who held an unplanned meeting after day two to address the problems.

However, the team have played down expectations ahead of the new campaign as Hamilton and Russell look likely to finish behind Red Bull and Ferrari on Sunday.

Hamilton added: “They (Red Bull) developed an amazing car last year, they blew away all the records. I don’t think they were pushing at the end and they were still way ahead. I don’t see that changing necessarily at the start of the season.”