Martin Brundle: Lewis Hamilton wants the same salary as Max Verstappen

• F1

Martin Brundle is sure that Lewis Hamilton wants to have the same salary as Max Verstappen. This could be the reason why the negotiations are taking so long. Lewis Hamilton, although not having the best season, has a huge confidence and believes that he is one of the most valuable drivers on the F1 scene.

"I’m sure he would be asking for that kind of number,” Brundle said, as quoted by crash.net! “He will value himself as the same as Max, as a seven-time world champion. He knows he’s still got the speed.

It will be tens of millions, plus bonuses. I imagine Lewis and his team have been dotting i’s and crossing t’s - for all kinds of things, in the car, out of the car, away from the track. Things he wants to do, he’ll have been fighting like crazy to do almost no media or marketing, if he can get away with it!

So the power balance changes a little bit”. Events on the F1 scene favor the fact that Hamilton will probably stay with his team where he had the best days of his career. Hamilton and Mercedes have achieved so much together that it is hard to imagine the team without him.

However, this season caused fear among fans that the story between Hamilton and Mercedes is over. Let's wait.
“I’m sure he would have had a little scout around, to see what was out there. But I don’t see any reason why he would jump from Mercedes over to Ferrari, for example, given the experience and history he has with Mercedes-Benz.

There wasn’t a spot at Red Bull for him so staying where he is makes sense. It’s good news for Formula 1, it’s good news for Lewis, and it’s good news for Mercedes-Benz. All things behind equal we’ll see Hamilton’s name in F1 for another two-and-a-half seasons”.

Martin Brundle and Mercedes

Brundle believes that Mercedes has no chance for a good result, looking at their car. They would have to change a lot in Mercedes if they really want to be at the top again. The next period will tell us a lot.

“They’ve got to bin this car because they’ve had one-and-a-half seasons of trying to make it work, make it talk to the drivers, and be predictable - and it just isn’t. Occasionally they show unbelievable pace but they don’t have a good, understandable platform.

So it all depends what they come out with between January and March next year, as to whether they’re right back in the hunt. We have no doubt that both Lewis and George Russell have the speed and ability to take it to Red Bull, as long as they’ve got the grip and power”.