ZitatTalking Heads: The Future of Lewis Hamilton Our duelling Talking Heads go head-to-head once more to discuss Lewis Hamilton's options as he considers where he will race in 2013...
So tell me: why can't I open a newspaper at the moment without reading a story about Lewis Hamilton's future? Because the silly season - the indefinite period that occurs during every year when rumour and conjecture ripen into bloom - has opened for business. And, this year, Lewis Hamilton is the key to it all.
But isn't he McLaren man and boy? Well, we're about to find out.
How so? His contract with the team expires at the end of the year, he's so far shown no inclination to sign a new deal any time soon, and now, just to really throw the cat amongst the pigeons, Ron Dennis told us in Montreal that, with the world economy rather less jaunty than it was back in 2008 when Lewis signed his deal, contract negotiations with Hamilton this time round are likely to be somewhat more "complex".
You mean he might have to take a pay-cut? Maybe so.
But what about those reports a couple of weeks ago that Hamilton would be offered a £100m deal? No such deal has been offered as yet, and, judging by Big Ron's remarks this weekend, there's going to be some tough-talking between Hamilton's people and McLaren's suits before any new deal is struck.
'Hamilton's people'? Who are they? Well, after a year flying solo in the management stakes, last season Hamilton appointed music mogul Simon Fuller's XIX Entertainment company to deal with his career. According to The Daily Telegraph: 'One reason negotiations may drag on concerns the leeway in the contract with regard to Hamilton's commercial rights. XIX Entertainment is keen for greater freedom to be inserted into any new contract which would allow him to promote his own brands or pursue his own projects. It may be that a lower basic salary is accepted, which would allow Hamilton more control of this area.'
And surely he won't short of offers from elsewhere? Quite - and rather handily for him, there's potentially one drive available at all of McLaren's big three rivals - Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes - next year with the contracts of Mark Webber, Felipe Massa and Michael Schumacher all up for renewal at the end of 2012.
Ferrari, are you sure? You can count that out for a start...Fernando Alonso and Hamilton can't stand the sight of each other... You've stumbled on a bit of an urban myth there, my friend. Although it's fair to say their year together at McLaren in 2007 ended in mutual destruction, Alonso's real beef was with McLaren's management. This season, Fernando and Lewis have established some sort of mutual admiration society founded on compliments for each other.
But surely Alonso wouldn't want him to ruffle his well-cultivated feathers on track in the same car again though... No, you're probably right there given the status he's established for himself since joining Ferrari. Indeed. According to our man Mark Hughes, Ferrari sources have confirmed that while Alonso had approved the team hiring Sebastian Vettel as his team-mate for 2014, he had 'vetoed the recruitment of Hamilton'.
Ouch. But what's that you say about Vettel to Ferrari? Couldn't Hamilton just take the German's place at Red Bull then? Officially, Vettel extended his deal with RBR to the end of 2014 last year - although more recent speculation in Italy has suggested the terms of that final year are open to interpretation.
But that's 2014. What about next year? The most recent talk is of Mark Webber - a good friend of Fernando - moving to Ferrari for a single season. That would result in a vacancy at Red Bull next year and then a seat for Vettel to fill at Ferrari in 2014...
Would Red Bull really pair Hamilton and Vettel? That's the million-dollar question. Christian Horner has played down the possibility but consider this: If Webber joins Ferrari next year and Vettel has signed a pre-contract with the Scuderia for 2014 - would you really turn to Toro Rosso's unproven young guns Ricciardo and Vergne at this stage to pin your future hopes to?
Hmm. Good point. Red Bull need to make sure they have at least one of the 'big three' signed up. But what about talk of Hamilton joining Mercedes instead? Now we're really talking. Although Mercedes already have the most successful driver in F1, sadly for them it's the 43-year-old version and not the one that relentlessly ripped up the record books in red. Schumi can't go on forever and he may not be too inclined to continue for another year even if Mercedes want him too. As Sebastian is the new German superstar, the boy Vettel is surely the driver Mercedes would want above all others, but Hamilton would at least fill the superstar bill. He also knows the company well after working with them when Mercedes were partners with McLaren.
Enough of the speculation. Just what is Lewis actually going to do? Right now, he probably doesn't know himself. His contract negotiations aren't yet underway with McLaren and the strength of his hand will be substantially dictated by what happens with Schumacher, Vettel and Webber. The driver market is like a giant jigsaw at the moment and until a few of the pieces start falling into place everyone will just have to play a delicate game of brinkmanship.
Wait a second. What about McLaren? Where do they turn if Lewis jumps ship? You're getting good at this. That's the question nobody's yet asking - or indeed perhaps contemplating. In his interview with Sky, Dennis did remark that "we're going to look at who's available" but it's anyone's guess who would actually be next in line as no obvious replacement of Lewis's calibre would be available to partner Jenson Button. Paul di Resta would be perhaps the most obvious candidate, and someone like Sergio Perez the most exciting, but respective suitors Mercedes and Ferrari might have something to say about that. Webber, Massa, Nico Hulkenberg and maybe even long-time tester Gary Paffett could also all come into the reckoning.
Here's one for you then: what about a spectacular McLaren return for Juan Pablo Montoya? He's a star. Now you are being silly...
Well they do call this the 'silly season' And on that note...
Felipe Massa has not ruled out returning to Sauber next year if he is forced to leave Ferrari. Brazilian Massa, now 31, made his debut with the Swiss team in 2002 and then returned for the 2004-5 seasons following an interlude as Ferrari's official test driver.
He moved to the famous Maranello based team to be Michael Schumacher's teammate in 2006, but high speculation this year suggests he could be replaced at the end of the season by Ferrari's top development driver Sergio Perez. Mexican Perez's promotion would create a key vacancy at Sauber, the Swiss team with historically political links to Ferrari and a customer of the fabled Italian squad's engine, gearbox and KERS.
Fernando Alonso on Thursday revealed he will have a say on whether or not Massa is retained in 2013. "Fernando is very respected within Ferrari because of his results so it's natural that he participates in the decision about the drivers," Massa is quoted by Brazil's O Estado de S.Paulo on Thursday. "We have a good relationship, I know he supports me, but what really matters is my results," he insisted. That is what will make Ferrari either keep me or whether I will have to go to another team."
Massa refused to say if he has been in contact with McLaren, whose Lewis Hamilton is yet to renew his deal for 2013. "My best option now is to get results," he answered. Massa said recently he would rather "do something else" rather than sign with a "small" team in 2013. Is Sauber 'small'? Massa answered in Valencia: "Medium."
Journalist Livio Oricchio commented: "It (Sauber) could be an option, but I don't think so. I have great relationships with the team, we travel together on Swissair -- from what I hear, it would be surprising to see Massa there." (GMM)
Read the comments of Withmarsh also blaming Lewis! Is this a sign for things to come? I think such comments are not meant to be spoken in public! This is bad management for me!
I also read that Macca prefers to try to help Button to improve his pace insteae of developing new parts for Valencia " title="dunno" />
I understand how you feel rage. I almost " title="faint" /> when Kimi joined Ferrari in 2007. I never got use to him wearing red. " title="eek" /> I hated to be a Ferrari fan even though Kimi won WDC with them. Now the internal struggle is over. h" title="hih" />
How many things went wrong before Raikkonen joined and then when he was at McLaren? And how many things have went since he left? Seems to me it's just the same.
The only season where they didn't make many mistakes were 2007 (bar the internal fight), then 2010 but their car dropped off in the last few races, then back up in the final race.
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Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:49 am
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" title="faint" /> when Kimi joined Ferrari in 2007. 
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