Lewis Hamilton is near agreeing a brand new two-year take care of Mercedes.
Toto Wolff, the crew boss, mentioned in Hungary that they’ve completed their contract talks on an “emotional” stage, however they nonetheless have to signal the papers.
“Can somebody inform me what it means when a contract is emotionally achieved?” Hamilton’s former teammate Nico Rosberg mentioned.
“I don’t know why Lewis is taking a lot time.”
After an 18-month drought, seven time world champion Hamilton returned to pole place in Hungary final Saturday.
On this level, Rosberg has admiration for the 38-year-old Briton.
“I’ve seen these magical moments up shut for years, and his lap in qualifying was a type of moments.
“That was now not driving a racing automobile, it was extra of an artwork.”
One other former F1 driver and pundit, nonetheless, used the identical analogy for Hamilton’s subsequent efficiency collapse within the race.
“Ending fourth from pole place is nearly an artwork,” Marc Surer wrote in a column on motorsport-total.com.
Hamilton admits that he hasn’t been “in prime type” for “greater than a 12 months” – qualifying in Hungary apart.
“We’re nonetheless a great distance from beating Purple Bull within the race and it looks like we’re behind the McLarens too,” he mentioned.
On that time, Wolff doesn’t agree.
“The one factor that was good at present,” he mentioned final Sunday, “was George (Russell)’s driving.
“We’ll have to take a look at the whole lot else. We misplaced a podium and perhaps even two.”
Wolff added: “The technique was good. We had the second quickest automobile – solely Max Verstappen was sooner,” he instructed Sky Deutschland. “We didn’t use the potential we had.”
Martin Brundle, the extremely skilled commentator for British Sky tv, mentioned Hamilton’s fellow Briton Lando Norris passing him in Hungary was like “the handing over of the baton” concerning British drivers in F1.
Norris mentioned after ending second in Hungary: “I do know Lewis complains quite a bit about how superb our automobile is and the way dangerous theirs is, however they don’t have a foul automobile. And so they haven’t had a foul automobile all season.”
“Yesterday,” the McLaren driver added, “Lewis complained about how powerful it’s ending outdoors first place. Strive racing in nineteenth and twentieth!
“He’s by no means achieved that in his life,” Norris insisted. “That’s the one factor Lewis hasn’t achieved that in Components 1.”
Hamilton mentioned final week that he now not cares what place he finishes in 2023.
“I preserve repeating to the crew that we have to go within the route of Purple Bull,” he instructed DAZN. “Usually we now have extra rear wing than the remainder.
“Plainly they’ve extra downforce on their ground. I don’t care if it’s with this 12 months’s automobile or the subsequent one, we have to go in that route.”
Lastly, considered one of Sky Deutschland’s younger reporters – Phoenix – apparently had Wolff whisper in his ear in Hungary that Hamilton is extending his deal for 2 extra years – 2024 and 2025.
“It’s already fairly clear that Hamilton will drive for Mercedes subsequent 12 months,” Bild newspaper added. “It simply must be formally sealed.”
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