"It's super embarrassing": Mercedes boss on negotiating contract with Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated that he feels embarrassed talking to Lewis Hamilton about his contract and make financial negotiations with the seven-time World Champion.

Hamilton's contract extension is a huge talking point in the paddock. The 38-year-old is yet to extended his contract with Mercedes.

According to Motorsport-Total.com, Wolff explained how awkward it is to negotiate the terms of the contract with Lewis Hamilton. The Austrian billionaire considers Hamilton a friend, and hence he feels this way. He said:

"It's super embarrassing. Every three years, we know that we have this moment. And it's like negotiating the financial terms with your best friend with a close friend. How do you go about it? Normally, you don't have a situation like that. I want the best for him, but in this role, I need the best for the team. It may be the only time in our ten or eleven years that we're together and our goals diverge."

Toto Wolff also explained how all the financial negotiations and discussions between Lewis Hamilton and the team are done through Penny Thow, Hamilton's manager.

"Ultimately, it's difficult to talk about money with a friend. Penny [Thow, Hamilton's manager] helps with that. Penny kept us in check, and we found a good modus operandi with her about how we talk to each other. We avoid it to talk to each other about money, but we both talk to Penny."

Hamilton himself said that he has wondered how it would feel like driving for another team like Ferrari. However, he declared that his loyalty lies with Mercedes and that he will soon renew his contract. While speaking to ESPN, he said:

"I've been thinking about the Ferrari drivers and watching them on the screens at the circuit, and of course you wonder what it would be like to drive in red. But then I go to my team, to Mercedes, and that's my home. I'm happy where I am. I haven't signed a contract yet, but we're working on one."

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Lewis Hamilton feels Mercedes W14 is the same car as their 2022 challenger, minus the porpoising

Lewis Hamilton is not happy with the Mercedes W14. Though the Briton is trying to stay positive and help the team develop the car, he claims that it feels like the W13 from 2022, just without the porpoising. After the Friday practice sessions at the 2023 F1 Miami GP, he said:

"I’m going to stay optimistic and stay hopeful that we can get the car in a better place tomorrow and maybe be a couple of steps up. But it feels like apart from last year we had hardcore bouncing, it feels like we’re racing pretty much the same car, that’s the difficult thing."

The 2023 F1 challenger is still unable to perform to the team's standards and is struggling to keep up with the top teams. Mercedes are currently third in the Constructers standings (96 points) behind Aston Martin (102) and ahead of Ferrari (78) as we head into the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix race weekend.