Lewis Hamilton is the only F1 driver currently without a contract for the 2021 season, with the seven-time World Champion still unable to agree a new deal with the Mercedes F1 Team.
Last week, it was reported that Hamilton’s salary demands and “attitude” were holding up negotiations, with Daimler, Mercedes’ parent company, unwilling to give the Brit a pay rise while it is having to cut costs due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
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And, although Ineos is reportedly willing to intervene to meet Hamilton’s salary demands and ensure he stays at Mercedes, some F1 fans have been angered by the seven-time World Champion’s apparent insistence on getting a pay rise while some drivers, like Daniel Ricciardo, have accepted a significant pay cut going into 2021.
Others called on Mercedes to drop Lewis Hamilton and sign George Russell for a fraction of the cost.
Russell filled in for Hamilton after he tested positive for COVID-19 following the Bahrain GP.
The young Brit was on course to win the Sakhir Grand Prix ahead of Valtteri Bottas, but a team mistake during a pitstop and a late slow puncture ruined his race.
Despite only finishing in P9, Russell’s strong performance in Bahrain prompted calls for him to be given a Mercedes seat in 2021.
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