Mercedes deny Hamilton contract veto

Mercedes have denied rumours that Lewis Hamilton has been given a veto over teammates in his contract.

The team dismissed the speculation when responding to a fan on Twitter, who had commented the following on a post from the official Formula 1 account announcing that Hamilton has signed a new deal with the silver arrows: “So, if it’s just a 1 year deal, why does Lewis have veto over teammate?”

Mercedes replied to the Twitter user: “He doesn't. That's incorrect, driver selection is a team matter.”

This shuts down reports that emerged in recent weeks claiming that Hamilton had wanted a clause in his contract granting him the option to veto any potential future teammate, with the Italian Gazzetta dello Sport claiming that this wish had been granted.

There had been much speculation over Hamilton’s contract due to negotiations seeming to take longer than many fans had expected, with the seven-times world champion’s previous contract expiring at the end of the 2020 season.

But the saga finally came to a close on Monday morning when Mercedes confirmed that Hamilton had signed a new one-year deal to stay with the team in 2021.

Hamilton said in a statement that he was pleased to have agreed a joint commitment with the team to increase diversity and inclusion in the sport, a matter of great importance to him following his recent activism work.

“I am excited to be heading into my ninth season with my Mercedes teammates,” the Briton said in an official statement from Mercedes. “Our team has achieved incredible things together and we look forward to building on our success even further, while continuously looking to improve, both on and off the track.

“I’m equally determined to continue the journey we started to make motorsport more diverse for future generations and I am grateful that Mercedes has been extremely supportive of my call to address this issue. I'm proud to say we are taking that effort further this year by launching a foundation dedicated to diversity and inclusion in the sport. I am inspired by all that we can build together and can't wait to get back on the track in March.”