[jfxavier]

Lewis Hamilton has signed a new three-year contract at Mercedes worth 100 million pounds.
The long, drawn-out contract saga between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes was finally settled in Monaco this weekend.

“Mercedes is my home and I couldn't be happier to be staying here for another three years,” Hamilton said. “This is a company filled with real passionate racers, from the board room to the factory floor, and an incredible hunger to win.

“Even after the success of last year, that hunger is greater than ever – and it’s the same for me, too. The Mercedes car I am driving right now is the best I have ever had in my career; it’s just so much fun to be out there every weekend, on the limit and fighting to win at every track.

“Mercedes-Benz began supporting me in 1998 so I am very proud that this contract means I will mark 20 years with Mercedes in 2018.”

Team boss Toto Wolff echoed Hamilton’s sentiments and expressed his happiness with the continuity at Mercedes after Nico Rosberg penned his new contract last July.

“Continuity is one of the key factors for delivering success in Formula One and we now have that in place,” Wolff said. “Lewis enjoyed an historic World Championship season with Mercedes-Benz last year and it was a priority for this season to renew his contract for the next term.

“We have taken the right amount of time with the process and not rushed ourselves. The result is a strong agreement that will enhance Lewis’ association with the Mercedes-Benz brand, and that recognizes and respects the market value of Lewis and of Mercedes in Formula One.

“Lewis’ sporting track record speaks for itself and he is a great personality for the company. Personally, I am looking forward to continuing to race with the strongest driver pairing in Formula One and to more historic achievements together.”

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/32812577

http://motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com...edes-contract/

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formul...illion-5728388

[jfxavier]

One hundred million pounds sounds like a lot of money. To most of us, that's because it is. But for those rarefied individuals who are accustomed to negotiating in the tens of millions of any currency, £100 million doesn't go as far as you might like.

A one-bedroom apartment in One Hyde Park, London will set you back over £9 million, but a penthouse in the exclusive address - the world's most expensive residence at the time of development - sold for £145 million despite being an empty shell in need of full refurbishment.

A Learjet 85 is a relatively inexpensive $21 million to buy, although operating costs make the private plane rather less of a bargain. And if exclusivity is what you're after, why not go the full-hog and buy an Airbus A380 for personal use - $300 million for the plane, and up to $200 million for the custom interior.

http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/...on-dollar-baby

[GTO]

With bonuses, this is a Rs. 900 crore deal! Congratulations to Hamilton on his success .

I'm wondering if his dominating performance this year tilted the scales in his favour. Clearly, Lewis has matured now, and his driving style isn't ragged / prone to errors as it was earlier. He's become consistent.

His real work is qualifying well & winning the race. If we divide his earnings by the number of race weekends, it's a staggering 8 crores per day of performance .

[jfxavier]

Lewis becomes the best-paid driver in the sport and could earn five times more than the chairman of Daimler-Benz, if he achieves all his performance bonuses. However, by getting rid of XIX Entertainment and only using the services of his trusted in-house lawyer, it is thought that his take-home pay will effectively double compared to last year.
Hamilton is also free to negotiate other deals which could send his overall worth higher.

He was not at the factory to sign it, but added his signature before it was sent by courier to the Mercedes board in Stuttgart.
“Did I have a glass of wine? Maybe I toasted to it. I don’t think so,” he said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/mot...-Mercedes.html

[D33-PAC]

Does he also have his hands insured for 20 million euros like Alonso ?


I also hope he invests his earnings right and doesn't go waste it another private jet. He has the potential to become the richest race car driver in human history.

[deetjohn]

Mixed feelings for me. As a fellow Gooner, I am extremely happy about Lewis handing a blockbuster contract with the form team of F1. More than the money, this gives him a great platform for more titles and race wins for two more seasons at least.

And a bit sad, as it more of less closes the chance for Lewis to drive for Ferrari. Wait! Maybe not. We all know contracts in sports are not that were once. Hoping the lure of Ferrari brings Lewis to Maranello when he is still strong. Titles with three different teams sound exciting enough, isn't it?

Originally Posted by GTO

I'm wondering if his dominating performance this year tilted the scales in his favour. Clearly, Lewis has matured now, and his driving style isn't ragged / prone to errors as it was earlier. He's become consistent.

Add to that the impressive fuel saving that he does on that Mercedes while being fast at the same time. Lewis has certainly elevated his status as a driver after joining the Germans.

[Fullrevs]

I seriously doubt Lewis will drive a Ferrari. The way things are poised now it seems like it will be a Vettel-Ferrari vs Lewis-Mercedes in the coming years. Mclaren need some young blood and I foresee a young-star signing by the end of this season when they drop Jenson.

I see these three teams in the mix for the coming 5 years. With Vettel in Ferrari, I dont think the team will make room for Lewis. That will be just too hot to handle for Ferrari and they are known to be a one-driver team also. Also, Lewis could be a bit too blunt for the sensitive and emotional Italians. :-)