Lewis Hamilton has hinted that the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic might have played a part in him deciding to sign only a one-year contract extension. At the turn of the year, both Hamilton and Mercedes had failed to come to an agreement regarding a contract extension for the reigning world champion. Rumours began swirling about a potential rift between driver and team though those rumours were quelled after a brief period of posturing between the two parties. "I think we live in quite an unusual period of time and (I) just wanted one year, then we can talk about if we do more and keep adding that one if we have to," Hamilton said during the launch of the W12 racecar. "I'm kind of in a fortunate position where I've achieved most of the stuff that I've wanted to achieve up until this point, and so there's no real need necessarily to plan too far ahead in the future." Hamilton also emphasised how his motivations have shifted beyond just winning on the race track and he remains determined to continue his efforts towards social justice. "In the past, it was about just winning championships," Hamilton said. "But now I think there's a lot of talk this year about pushing for diversity and really making sure that action is taken. So that's kind of at the core of the drive for me. "But of course we exist to win so that's what all these guys and girls here are working towards. And so my goal is to deliver that for them."
Most read
