Speculation about why Sir Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are yet to ink a new deal is growing with every passing day – and another person in the paddock has now cited sources as saying that the seven-time World Champion’s salary demands are preventing a contract extension from being agreed.
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Ex-F1 team boss Eddie Jordan, who says he has “excellent sources I can rely on 100 percent”, has claimed that Hamilton is simply asking for too much money and added that he would “show him the door” if he were in charge.
“Apparently the parties disagree on the terms. I just heard that Lewis wants more than Mercedes are willing to pay,” Jordan told F1 Insider this week.
“It’s also about sharing the team’s income and having an influential role in the Mercedes group. If I were the boss of Daimler, I would show him the door – either you drive on our terms or you go.
“I would also tell him what Bernie Ecclestone said after Ayrton Senna’s death.
“Even though Bernie was shocked and sad like everyone else, he was the first to regain his composure and said to us ‘now stop whining – everyone is replaceable’. Lewis should know that by now.”
Earlier, it was reported that Daimler, which currently owns a third of the Mercedes F1 Team, blocked a $50 million per year deal that was set to be tabled to Sir Lewis Hamilton in 2020.
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