Lewis Hamilton’s £40m-a-year Mercedes contract expires in under THREE MONTHS with Brit no closer to new deal

LEWIS HAMILTON and Toto Wolff are no closer to committing  to Mercedes — despite having just 2½ months to run on their deals.

Hamilton, who earns around £40million a year, said in August  he was uncomfortable about agreeing terms in a pandemic.

Lewis Hamilton is no closer to a new Mercedes deal with less than three months to run on his current contract

And during the same month, Wolff, who has a 30 per cent share in the F1 team, said he was considering his own future “in a moment of reflection”.

But with seven races still to go this season, time is running out for them.

Wolff said: “We  don’t have time to sit down and have a chat. And it is the same for my own contract.

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“We want to continue in the partnership we have and for Lewis, he wants to be in the quickest car and for Mercedes, we want the quickest driver.

“It seems pretty obvious but we need to find the time to sit down.”

Hamilton can equal Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 F1 victories today  in the Eifel Grand Prix at the Nurburgring.

But he will have to fight it out with his team-mate, Valtteri Bottas, who took pole position.

Hamilton cooled talk of becoming a joint record holder, saying he was not bothered if it came at a track that was synonymous with Schumacher’s success.

Hamilton is looking to match Michael Schumacher’s 91 wins with victory at the Eifel GP

He said: “It wouldn’t make any difference. It’s not something I particularly think about. If and when it happens, it’ll be great.

“I’m solely focused on trying to do the best job I can. If that gets me to that win then great but I’m not looking short term, I’m looking further ahead.” 

Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg was recalled by Racing Point to fill in for Lance Stroll who complained of feeling unwell.

The Canadian — who was not displaying Covid  symptoms — has been replaced by the German, who had earlier filled in for Sergio Perez following his positive Covid-19 test earlier in the season.

Hulkenberg, who will start last after no practice laps, said: “It was even  crazier than last time.

“I was in Cologne, which is an hour from here.

“I was sat with a friend having a coffee at 11am when Racing point boss Otmar Szafnauer rings me and says, ‘Hulkenberg hurry, we need you here’. “So I stepped in the car and came here.”