Lewis Hamilton has held ‘positive discussions’ over new Mercedes contract

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Lewis Hamilton Has Held ‘Positive Discussions’ Over New Mercedes Contract
Lewis Hamilton has started positive contract talks with Mercedes, © AP/Press Association Images
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Philip Duncan, PA F1 Correspondent

Lewis Hamilton said he has started positive discussions with Mercedes over a new contract – and has called on his team to keep Valtteri Bottas instead of hiring George Russell.

Hamilton (36) agreed only a one-year deal with the Silver Arrows in February, just six weeks before the start of his championship defence.

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The length of his contract extension raised the prospect that he could retire at the end of the season.

However, the seven-time world champion has since claimed he wants a fresh deal in place by the summer break in August.

And speaking ahead of this weekend’s Styrian Grand Prix in Austria, Hamilton said:  “We have begun discussions. I don’t want to say too much, but the discussions are positive.”

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With Hamilton signalling his desire to stay, the identity of his Mercedes team-mate for 2022 remains in the balance.

Bottas has endured a poor start to his season – already 72 points behind leader Max Verstappen in the standings – with Russell, a Mercedes junior driver, continuing to impress in his uncompetitive Williams.

Russell excelled as a stand-in for a Covid-hit Hamilton at last year’s Sakhir GP. The British driver (23) was denied victory by a poor Mercedes pit stop and then a late puncture.

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But Hamilton added: “Valtteri is my team-mate now. Both of us have had ups and downs in our careers.

“He is a fantastic team-mate and I don’t necessarily see that it needs to change. ”

Asked to comment on Russell as a future partner at Mercedes, a defensive Hamilton said: “Well, he’s not my team-mate, so I don’t need to say anything on that.”

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