Lewis Hamilton has suggested that he will indeed sign a new contract with McLaren, but only if they give him more time off.
2008 world champion wants to stay put - but with more time off
Lewis Hamilton has suggested that he will indeed sign a new contract with McLaren, but only if they give him more time off.
Ahead of Sunday's British Grand Prix - and at the end of a week which has seen the 2008 world champion hard at work promoting the Silverstone race - Hamilton suggested he was in danger of burnout.
"You have to make changes," said Hamilton, who could only qualify 10th on Saturday after McLaren sent him out on used soft tyres in the final session, before a sudden shower left him unable to improve his time.
"When I re-sign the contract with McLaren they are going to be shocked at how many days they are not going to be able to make me do.
"I will be doing a lot less work. I definitely won't be doing the whole period of time before the Silverstone grand prix, that's for sure. I will have at least five days to prepare in the future.
"I have just come from the last race and I have had a day or two off and I am certain if you look down the paddock there won't be many other drivers that have done what I have been doing over the last two weeks.
"I am excited for the break," added Hamilton in reference to F1's summer recess after the Hungarian Grand Prix later this month. The 26-year-old added that he felt older and "definitely" faced a risk of burnout.
Hamilton has been linked with a move to current pacesetters Red Bull, although the latter's team principal Christian Horner said earlier this week that pairing him with defending world champion Sebastian Vettel would not work.
Advice
Meanwhile, Hamilton's father and former manager Anthony has said that his son should stay put.
"My advice right now is for Lewis to stay at McLaren," Hamilton Sr, who now manages Paul di Resta, told BBC radio on Sunday.
"Don't forget when Lewis was 12 years of age we were scratching around wondering where the next pound was going to come from for getting him to the next level of karting.
"Then (former McLaren team principal) Ron Dennis picked up the phone and said he would like to help us out. He was like the man from Camelot (the lottery), telling us that if all went well he would put him in the car, and he did exactly that.
"Now my view is you see that through right to the very end unless you really come to the end of the relationship, and that is nowhere near the end for Lewis.
"He's in love with them, they're in love with him, they're going through a little bit of turmoil as you do in any relationship. But I believe it is going to be a happy marriage if he stays."
