Lewis Hamilton has called out ‘the media’ for making up stories with regards to his new Mercedes contract.
Hamilton’s current deal expires at the end of the season and therefore speculation over a new deal is rife and at this stage of the year a driver would normally have begun discussing a new deal, if not already agreed something.
This has prompted certain parts of the media to publish reports that Hamilton is demanding £40 million per season – a reported increase of around £5m under his current terms with Mercedes.
However Hamilton insists this simply isn’t true and called on those publications spreading false information to “stop making shit up”.
“So the media keep writing about [a new] contract and me making demands, but I haven’t even spoken with Toto [Wolff] about it yet” he wrote on Instagram.
“No demands, the conversation hasn’t even begun. So please stop making shit up.”
Speaking to the media on Friday in Austria, Wolff confirmed that no discussions had taken place with either Hamilton or team-mate Valtteri Bottas, insisting it is not an urgent matter for the team and that when the time is right, those talks would eventually happen.
“We are in a position of trust with both of the drivers,” said Wolff. “You could say that in Formula 1 it doesn’t mean a lot – but it does in our team.
“I guess that we will do the next steps soon but I don’t want to commit to any timing because I don’t want to answer questions every single race weekend about why the contracts are not done.
“There is no urgency in the matter. All of us want to do it and when the time is right, we will announce it.”
