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Lewis Hamilton is in no rush to sign a new contract with Mercedes, though concedes it’s something he’ll have to get sorted in the near future.
Last weekend the 35-year-old claimed a record-equalling seventh Formula 1 world championship after winning the Turkish Grand Prix.
There are just three races remaining in the 2020 season, running on successive weekends in Bahrain (twice) and Abu Dhabi.
Under his current contract, they will be Hamilton’s last with Mercedes.
“I just always think, through the year just that I’ve got a job to do, I’ve got a contract in place, I don’t feel like I should add pressure,” he said.
“I wanted to put it aside and wait until the job is done.
“So, probably over these next weeks – we’ve got three weeks in the Middle East – now it’s a bit more chilled, but I still have three races ahead of me that I want to win.
“It’s not done but we will get it done, I’m sure.”
Team boss Toto Wolff, who is also out of contract at year’s end, is confident a deal will be struck to keep Hamilton beyond his current agreement.
The Austrian, who is also part-owner of the team, has been an influential player throughout Hamilton’s time with Mercedes.
“I think more than likely, we are looking towards the end of the year,” Wolff said.
“Not that we wouldn’t find time for each other, but I don’t want to put ourselves under pressure to say before Bahrain or before Abu Dhabi we will announce a new contract.
“There isn’t any pressure. When it’s done, it’s done.”
Wolff believes Hamilton remains committed to racing and wants to carry on with Mercedes, despite making comments over the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend suggesting otherwise.
Hamilton subsequently clarified those remarks, saying his uncertainty arose from how he could help Mercedes more broadly going forward.
“He loves racing, and the competition, as does the team and myself,” Wolff said.
“I think if we wouldn’t have the competition against the stop watch, life would be not as fun.
“So I see us going for more next year, maybe putting another great year on, and then we have this tremendous challenging regulation change for 2022.
“We’ll go for a while.”
