Published 13:50 IST, December 7th 2019
Lewis Hamilton mocks Max Verstappen, says every driver chases Mercedes seat like 'a dog'
Lewis Hamilton said that there are drivers who are seeking positions everywhere. The British driver will be out of a contract with Mercedes at the end of 2020
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British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton is on his way to becoming a future Hall of Famer in the sport. The 34-year-old won his 6th World Championship this season and is close to breaking Ferrari’s legendary driver Michael Schumacher’s record. Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes team on Friday were present at the 2019 FIA prize-giving ceremony after dominant F1 season.
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Lewis Hamilton and Formula 1 2019 season
Hamilton won over half of the 21 races in 2019, winning in 11 of the Grand Prixs. His final tally of 413 points in the drivers’ standings was the highest ever scored by a driver in a season in F1 history. His career stats at the end of the year, now stand at 88 pole positions and 84 wins.
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Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton on Max Verstappen inquiring for a seat at Mercedes
Speaking to reporters ahead of being presented with his trophy at a prize-giving gala at the Louvre museum in Paris, Hamilton said that It’s an interesting time because there’s a lot of drivers including one of his rivals, Max Verstappen, who are seeking positions everywhere. Hamilton will be out of contract with Mercedes at the end of the 2020 season and is looking out for his options. He added that when it comes to other drivers asking about his seat, he said that his Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has been getting calls from every driver for offers. He also added that everyone is trying to leave their team to come to where Mercedes is, which is understandable because everybody wants to win and be a part of a winning team.
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Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton on leaving Mercedes
Hamilton, who has been linked to Ferrari as per latest Italian media reports, is believed to have had two meetings with Ferrari chairman John Elkann already. The champion driver admitted that it would be hard to leave Mercedes. He said that he loves where he is currently and the people he is working with. He also added that it is really difficult to walk away from something that you love as much as he does. Hamilton said that he has been with Mercedes since he was 13, so it is really hard to imagine him being anywhere else.
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Formula 1: Max Verstappen speaks on his future
The Red Bull driver said he was not yet considering options for 2021. Verstappen is seen as a champion of the future and very much on Mercedes' radar. He will be a free agent after the next season as well. Speaking about his future destination, the Dutch driver said that he has one more year left on the contract but he thinks that it is more important to see what happens at the beginning of the season.
13:20 IST, December 7th 2019