Mercedes deny rumours about quitting F1 as Lewis Hamilton's future hangs in the balance

Mercedes have denied reports which claimed that the team is set to quit Formula 1 after the end of 2020 F1 season. Earlier, a report was published by Racefans. It said that the board of Mercedes‘ parent company Daimler will meet in two weeks time to decide whether to withdraw its team from Formula 1 at the end of the 2020 season. It also mentioned that the meeting will take place on February 12th. Mercedes’ current contract to participate in F1 expires at the end of this season.

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Formula 1: Mercedes denies rumours about quitting F1

The latest report claims that Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius is pushing to save a billion euros over the next three years and Mercedes will only remain in F1 as an engine manufacturer. When Kallenius was asked about the same at an event in Berlin, he played down the rumours and said that it was 'not true.'

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Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton denies having contract talks with Mercedes 

According to a report in BBC, Hamilton has said that he and Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff have not even spoken about their contract yet. He also referred to a report in Italy which stated that talks between him and Mercedes have stalled over his demands. He said that the papers are making up stories.  

Earlier, reports emerged that Lewis Hamilton is allegedly seeking to boost his annual salary with Mercedes to a lofty $60 million from 2021. However, the German manufacturer could reject its star driver's demands. Both parties are reportedly holding their cards tight to their chests and keeping their talks under wraps. 

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Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari 

Earlier, Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Hamilton had held discussions with Ferrari about his move to the team. The rumours picked up pace after Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto said that he was “happy” that someone of Hamilton’s quality is available post 2020. According to BBC, Hamilton said that everything that happens behind closed doors is private. He also said that he loves where he is and he doesn't want to make a quick decision to do something else. He thinks that it’s only smart and wise for him to sit and think of what he wants. After all, it is the last period or stage in his career.

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