Coulthard: Mercedes buying more than Hamilton driving at a GP

An extension deal that was supposed to be signed before the start of this F1 season, has lingered. Of course, prompting speculation the 38-year-old Briton was talking to Ferrari. Reportedly all false. Hamilton insisted in late May a deal would be announced in weeks...

Depending on who you believe, Hamilton is on a massive $40-to $50-million per year salary, and realistically does not have more than three or four years in the top flight. Hence this could well be the final deal he strikes with the German manufacturer as an F1 driver. Notably, he has only ever raced F1 with Mercedes-powered cars.

With Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff revealing that no extension will be done this weekend at Hamilton's home British Grand Prix, prompting Coulthard to comment: "For me, it's just a case of when they get it done. I'm not aware that Lewis is having a change of heart about whether he wants to go racing or not. And I don’t think Mercedes are having second doubts."

Speaking to PA Media, Coulthard said of the delay: "Mercedes will want a certain amount of time from Lewis for their partners. They will have sold sponsorship on obtaining access to their drivers. Some businesses will have signed up with the Silver Arrows because Lewis is there, rather than George Russell.

"What Lewis will be signing up for goes way beyond him driving at a Grand Prix. It's about what rights he retains in terms of his image, and what rights he sells to the team. Mercedes are buying more than just Lewis and his driving services. They are buying his promotional image and his PR image," explained Coulthard.

The 52-year-old Scot reckons no way: "I don’t think there's any realistic chance that Lewis will leave Mercedes unless there is a major fallout. And I can’t see that happening. Who would the major fallout be with? Even if it was with Toto, Lewis’ relationship with Mercedes’ parent company Daimler is much longer than Toto’s emergence as team principal of Mercedes."

Hamilton has achieved more than just about anyone in F1, and his longevity has also been remarkable. Always a front-runner throughout his career. With Fernando Alonso at 41, doing extraordinary things with a competitive Aston Martin as inspiration, how much longer for Lewis in F1?

Coulthard reckoned: "I'm sure there are quotes from drivers when they were younger, who said they could not see themselves racing into their late thirties and beyond. I am sure Lewis will have said something similar. But he’ll look at Fernando Alonso, and think ‘if Fernando, who is 42 this month, is still competitive, then why not me?’

"However, the only reason for Hamilton to hang around is to try and win races and compete for championships. Scoring points will not change his life. He needs to see what Mercedes can show him that gives him the confidence he will be competitive next year, rather than having to stay around for another three seasons."

As for Hamilton's eventual retirement from F1, Coulthard speculated: Lewis has had an incredible journey in life, with his achievements on the track, and his exposure off it.

He has got a very healthy view of how it is being Lewis Hamilton – the Formula 1 driver that goes from country to country – and Lewis Hamilton – the individual, the personality, the celebrity. But none of those personality-driven events he goes to will ever give him the adrenaline buzz he gets from racing a Formula 1 car.

"Very few things in life will ever give him that feeling so when the time does arrive for him to retire, he has to be certain he is ready to stop," advised Coulthar, who himself raced until he was 36, which for the time was the ceiling for a handful of drivers as most of that era quit F1 younger than that.