Lewis Hamilton to Haas? Guenther Steiner states the only condition he'd accept the 7x champion
Guenther Steiner has stated that he'd gladly welcome Lewis Hamilton to the Haas F1 team, on the condition that Mercedes and their team principal Toto Wolff pay the Briton's salary.
Hamilton is in the final months of his Mercedes contract, with no signs of an extension in sight. While he and the team have consistently stated that a new deal is imminent, that hasn't stopped the rumor mill from linking him with a move to other teams on the grid, or even away from the sport.
Haas boss Steiner joked that Haas would readily sign Hamilton, but only if the Silver Arrows continue to pay his wages. He said (via Metro):
“If Toto pays his salary, yes absolutely! You have to write that now! When Toto asks why he should pay the salary, I’ll say, ‘because you should!'”
Steiner, on a more serious note, said that he expects Hamilton to remain with Mercedes beyond the 2023 season. He opined:
“I think he’ll stay. He’s a Mercedes man. Which other options has he got? All the other teams have got very strong drivers. Max [Verstappen] is at Red Bull, Fernando [Alonso] is at Aston Martin and Charles Leclerc is at Ferrari.”
Making proper career choices is very important for young F1 drivers feels George Russell!
Do you agree that Max Verstappen would have struggled in Mercedes if he competed against Lewis Hamilton during his initial years in F1? 🤔
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“I continue to feel very much at home” - Lewis Hamilton pledges his future to Mercedes
Despite rumors linking him with a plethora of teams, Lewis Hamilton has stated that he is "at home" with Mercedes and hopes to build a legacy at the team, like British F1 legend Stirling Moss.
Speaking about his desire to emulate Moss, Hamilton told Motorsport.com:
“I feel amazing about it. I continue to feel very much at home. It's family. I see myself being with Mercedes till my last days, to be honest. If you look at the legends, Sir Stirling Moss was with Mercedes till the end of days. So, that's been the dream for me to one day have that. … well I have that, so I mean just continue on with that and continue to build with the brand.”
Lewis Hamilton on Mercedes W14 🗣️
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Hamilton also stated that he has a great relationship with Mercedes, a team where he has “some amazing allies.” He added:
“I've got some amazing allies within the team. I've got great relationships here. I think, for me personally, just as long as I can continue to help the team, as long as I can continue to help drive the team forwards and really contribute, then that's why I want to stay.”