"Signs are optimistic" - F1 pundit confident of Lewis Hamilton signing a contract extension with Mercedes

F1 pundit Damon Hill is confident that Lewis Hamilton will sign a new contract soon and stay at Mercedes for quite some time. It is no secret that the seven-time world champion has a deep bond with the Silver Arrows. He has been with the team since 2013 and has won six of his seven world titles with them.

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Hill explained how Mercedes' new development route and Lewis Hamilton finishing second in the Spanish GP must have further solidified his upcoming contract. The new development path the team has chosen has shown positive signs in Barcelona.

Hence, the British driver himself stated that he was going to meet Toto Wolff after the race to have more discussions regarding the contract.

The former F1 driver commented on this:

"It's more difficult to go in and start complaining about the car when you come second, than it is when you come 10th. Let's say Mercedes was off the pace, and you go and have a meeting with Toto, and, Toto is going to have to try and convince him to stay, probably.

"But I think it looks more likely that they've got a team that they want to continue with, and so Lewis will stay with Mercedes."

Additionally, Hill addressed the rumors about George Russell's new contract and how Lewis Hamilton will know exactly who his teammate will be for the next few years. Coming back to how Mercedes have gradually turned themselves in the right direction, the F1 pundit feels that the seven-time world champion will most likely go ahead with the contract extension.

Hill said:

"And also, I think George is going to stay or we might even have already...there's a hint that it's already done. So Lewis will know who his teammate's going to be—all those little ducks in a row things—before he puts pen to paper.

"I mean, the signs are optimistic, it looks like they've turned a corner, it looks like the super tank has turned around and is now heading back in the right direction."

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Lewis Hamilton determined to fight Red Bull and Max Verstappen in 2024

After a brilliant 2023 F1 Spanish GP where he finished second, Lewis Hamilton is filled with motivation to keep closing the gap to Red Bull and Max Verstappen this season and fight them head-on next year. The Briton feels that Mercedes is moving in the right direction now.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said:

"I think we are going in the right direction and I know we have something in the pipeline moving forwards. I'm hoping at least by the end of the year it would be great if we could challenge them. For me, I'm more focused on making sure that we have the car next year to challenge them from day one."

After a double podium finish in Barcelona, Mercedes has moved up to second place in the constructors' championship table with 152 points.