Is Lewis Hamilton set to REJECT Mercedes deal over unfulfilled 'TV Revenues Share' demand?

After weeks and weeks of negotiations, it seems that the contract extension talks between Lewis Hamilton and his longtime partners, Mercedes have come to a standstill. After a highly successful year, both, Hamilton and Mercedes had expressed a mutual desire to continue their historic partnership - one that has seen Hamilton win six titles - but what should've been a simple dialogue has now turned into a lengthy discussion that may go south. With Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff hinting at roadblocks in the extension, former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan has revealed what may be the main point of contention between the two parties.

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Lewis Hamilton Mercedes contract in trouble?

Eddie Jordan, an ex-F1 team boss and insider, has hinted that the contract troubles between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes may be a result of Hamilton demanding a greater stake in the company's TV revenue. According to Jordan, Hamilton is looking for 10% of the money Formula 1 pays Mercedes for their TV rights. "I believe Lewis is looking for 10% of the team's television money and it is hard to understand why he would not be worth that," Jordan was quoted as saying in an exclusive interview with The Sun.

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While many argue that Hamilton, now in the last years of his career, should take any deal Mercedes gives him and go on to create some more records before he retires, Jordan disagrees. The F1 veteran believes that Hamilton's presence, much like Tiger Woods in the PGA or LeBron James in the NBA, adds immense value to Mercedes and F1. Jordan also pointed out that companies like Ineos, who came as a one-third partner in the company last year, or Tommy Hilfiger "have bought into Mercedes because of the wealth of value that Lewis brings" to the team. 

Therefore, according to him, the 7-time World Champion is well within his rights to demand a greater share of the TV revenue. Opposing some views that point out how replaceable Hamilton is and that most drivers would jump at a chance to drive with Mercedes right now, Jordan feels that Wolff will not let the champion go so easily and expects a deal to be inked by the end of January, before the Bahrain GP on March 28.

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Lewis Hamilton salary 

Lewis Hamilton was 13th on Forbes' list of 'The World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2020'. According to Forbes, he has endorsement deals with Bose, L'Oréal, Mercedes-Benz, Monster Energy, Police, Puma, Sony, Tommy Hilfiger, Vodafone-USD, earning $12 million in 2020 from these deals. Hamilton also has a salary of $42 million besides other bonuses and winnings. The Lewis Hamilton net worth figure is estimated at $285 million by Celebrity Net Worth. 

Disclaimer: The above mentioned Hamilton net worth figure and the Lewis Hamilton Salary has been sourced from various websites and media reports. This website does not guarantee 100% accuracy of the figures.  

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Image Credits: AP