Lewis Hamilton remaining focused despite contract speculation

Lewis Hamilton has remained coy on his future within Formula 1, amidst speculation that the Briton could be poised to leave McLaren for Mercedes. The Briton has dubbed these rumors as “rubbish”, as he remains focused on trying to clinch what would be his second World Drivers’ Championship.

As the Formula 1 season enters in closing stages, Lewis Hamilton has yet to confirm his plans for next season, as his management company XIX Entertainment continue negotiate with McLaren. However, the 2008 World Champion has stated he will remain focused as he strives to win the World Championship. Lewis Hamilton is currently 2nd in the Drivers’ Championship, only 37 points behind the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso.

"I don’t have a timeline. My focus is on trying to win this World Championship," explained Lewis Hamilton to reporters at a Vodafone sponsors event. "Of course I do have to have those things sorted out but I do have people in the background working on those contract negotiations. There’s a lot of speculation, there’s a lot of stories that aren’t true. I think we’re all wise enough to understand that people write things and that what is written is not necessarily what is true. I think the most important thing is that I’m 100 percent focused on winning with this team and taking them forward. I’ve been with the team since I was 13 and we’ve worked so hard since 2009 to try and win this Championship and hopefully, finally, we’re in the position where we can. So the most important thing is that I do not get distracted by all the rubbish that’s been around."

However, with McLaren reported to be approaching Sergio Perez as a possible replacement for the Briton should he leave the team, the pressure will undoubtedly be on the Briton to finalize his plans sooner rather than later. Recent murmurings within the F1 paddock have likened the Briton to former World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who also enjoyed copious amounts of success in his first two seasons in the sport with a big team. However, the Canadian driver accepted a monumental pay-rise in 1999 with a move to the then new outfit of BAR. Villeneuve failed to win another race in Formula 1, and subsequently faded away from the sport.

The same curse could befall Lewis Hamilton, if he does eventually join Mercedes from McLaren for the reported fee of £60million. With a final deadline still not set by either McLaren or Lewis Hamilton, it seems these rumors will continue to evolve as the F1 season enters its final leg in Asia next weekend with the Singapore Grand Prix.

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