I agree, Hamilton wants options after next season. McLaren want to keep him for longer than just next season. Button having a good race couldn't have come at a worse time for him really, it's strengthened McLaren's position - hence Hamiltons reaction. Next weekend will be critical, the pressure is on Hamilton to out perform Button.
I think issues like this dont help the situation either! I think Whitmarsh is being very diplomatic and cant believe that either Lewis as a driver or Mclaren as a team find these type of events helpful in negotiating future relations. http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12433/8049976/Whitmarsh-Hamilton-will-learn Brundel's commenst are interesting aswell; "I can't work Lewis out, his apparent demeanour swings around so much. In Hungary he appeared supremely happy, content and approachable. And unbeatable. In Spa he was not. I don't know if his mood determines his performance, or vice versa. He clearly wants to poke the team at the moment and I suspect he was pretty successful in doing that. Normally he is waxing lyrical about them at every opportunity and until he finds an even keel and a settled environment he will not deliver his enormous potential. He is one of the greatest and most natural talents of all time, I hope he makes the most of it."
The reveal of the telemetry could be Lewis simply showing his frustration at the dead end of set-up he chose or it could be Lewis showing his frustration at the team for what could be many offences. It is a serious cause for concern. As has been mentioned, Lewis' body language did not match what he said about Jenson at Spa. That man looks like a man frustrated. I wonder if he is indeed unable to secure a top drive away from Mclaren if he might consider taking a year on hiatus.
He isn't staying at McLaren now as he would of already signed a contract by now, August has come and gone and I don't remember any driver signing a new contract around October-November. I don't think this will go away slowly either and more likely magnify the arguments within the team as they will most likely to now entirely back Jenson now his form has returned big time. I still stand by that McLaren would be thinking that Lewis would leave if he did win the WDC and take the number 1 with him. Young Seb was pretty moody and erratic until he resigned with RBR with deals from Ferrari and McLaren coming forward. This is why I said at the start that Lewis should of signed considering what the car was like at the start of the season. Lewis will be replacing Michael or Felipe come next season because that's what he wants.
I don't believe this is definitely the case; last season we had speculation about the Force India, Williams and Toro Rosso seats up to and after the final Grand Prix of the season. It took until December for Williams to renegotiate Maldonado's contract for this season; it might not be at quite the same high level as Hamilton but... Agreed. It's interesting the Lewis didn't re-sign considering how quick the car was at the beginning of the season. What more assurances did he want/need? Bold statement but certainly could be the case. If Button and Hamilton are determined to remind everyone of the Prost/Senna partnership then perhaps next season Hamilton will follow in Prost's footsteps to Ferrari.
In relation to driver contracts being signed after the summer, it is very rare that either top teams or top drivers haven't made a decession at this point. In relation to him not signing at the beginning of the season I think he was just playing Poker, but as all good Poker players know its not the hand you start with that counts and the best hand doesn't always win the pot! I think Lewis maybe out of Aces!
Button last year? If Hamilton is haggling he'd surely have got a better price around Canada time when the gap to Jenson was at its largest. Personally i'd love to see him join another team, just to spice up the grid at the front and provide some more unknowns.
Hmm⦠Some interesting intelligence in these posts. For the moment, there's only one thing I'd like to add, and it is with reference to Tom's Senna/Prost comparison. Although Hamilton and Alonso would present a seriously mouth-watering prospect for F1, in my view, Ferrari is not the place for such an arrangement to be a realistic possibility without a paradigm shift in philosophy. And with di Montezemolo at the helm, this would seem as unlikely as it ever has in the past, unfortunately.
The intricacies of the comparison are where it falls down, of course. I do think that, similarly to Prost in 1989 and Mansell in 1991, Hamilton - who is now 27 and approaching his peak years, lest we forget - could well be looking at assurances of superiority within the team, assurances that it seems he is unlikely to get at Mclaren. Ferrari would definitely be out, in that case, unless he fancies challenging Alonso for dominance...
I hear you Tom. The thing is that Hamilton is logically out of any Ferrari equation which involves Alonso. This is not simply because of the two protagonist's unfortunate history. It is even more fundamental: it is because Ferrari already have a clear 'number 1', a driver very capable of fulfilling the favoured r̫le which we are assuming might be Hamilton's incentive to move in the first place. Thus, any Senna/Prost-like comparison to occur in the same team requires it to occur outside of any connections with Maranello Рunless Team Italiano alters one of its most fundamental perspectives: that it allows for absolutely no exception to the team ALWAYS being bigger than its drivers. This completely negates the idea of team 'rivals' rather than team mates driving the red cars and necessarily requires a compliance with whichever (very) well-paid (off?) number 2 sacrifices himself. Just as Senna and Prost would not compromise on this, neither will Hamilton and Alonso. This is why it must happen in a different environment. And as I think most know, the best environment for this was/is actually where they used to be together. What a shame we were deprived so early of what really was a Senna v Prost prospect. I say this because like Senna, I believe Hamilton to be the most naturally gifted driver of his day and Alonso the best all-round 'thinker', similarly playing the 'long-game' better than his contemporaries*. - - -o0o- - - (*That sentence might have included Button if it were not for his exacting requirements which might be considered a weakness: a rather rigid Рthough virtually impossible to match when right Рdriving style).
Hamilton's Options: Ferrari - Join Fernando in Felipe's Seat. Ferrari seem like they don't want him and he isn't exactly Italy's favourite driver. And how would he work with Fernando? Chance of this happening out of 10: 2/10 Red Bull - Sign for McLaren for a Year or 2 then take Mark's seat? Would he want to be alongside Sebastian or would have Seb gone to his Ferrari dream? Chance out of 10: 4/10 Mercedes - Alongside karting buddy Nico Rosberg? Mercedes engine pals would make him feel at home? But would the car be competitive enough after 2014 regs? Chance out of 10: 6/10 McLaren - Sign a multi year deal pledging his long term future there? Chance out of 10: 1/10 Sign a yearly by yearly contract with McLaren? Would he be Number 1 driver? Car performance? Chance out of 10: 8/10 Time off - Hamilton likes music and has been working on his on composition, could this be enough for him to take a year out of the action? Chance out of 10: 1/10 Personally I think a yearly by yearly contract might be his wish with McLaren at the moment, but there is no way I see him signing more than a 2 year contract deal with ANYONE let alone with McLaren. This is a key stage in Hamilton's career he needs to get this right, hence why a 1 year contract for 2013(no Major regs change so McLaren will fight for title next year) and then evaluate again before the 2014 regs come into place.
I'm wondering if "Twittergate" has potentially triggered this. I know at the moment it is Dickhead Eddie speculation but if both Lewis and Mclarne have lost patience with each other..... who knows......?
It's clear he is unhappy at Mclaren so i'm glad he is leaving if the stories are true. Think about 2014 and the reg changes.
I think that was an option rather than a contract, it just so happened that JB managed to turn a 1 year option into a multi year contract. Slightly different but point taken.
Well according to Eddie Jordan, but he was the first to call Senna in for Heidfeld last year so who knows.
Yeah, but i dont think anyone expected Heidfeld to be dropped so suddenly, and Grosjean was a real possibility. The main point is he got the news first.
