He’s the reigning Formula One champion, has dated gorgeous celebs and already lives the ultimate playboy lifestyle – so what more could Lewis Hamilton ask for?
How about a new contract worth US $157 million? That should do nicely. The deal to stay with Team Mercedes is the biggest individual sports deal in British sporting history and ends a year of speculation about the 30-year-old’s future in motor racing.
The two-time champ made his F1 debut with McLaren in 2007 but has been powered by Mercedes-Benz, notching 15 out of 36 race victories at the wheel of a Silver Arrow.
“Mercedes is my home and I couldn’t be happier to be staying here for another three years,” said Hamilton. “This is a company filled with real passionate racers, from the board room to the factory floor, and an incredible hunger to win. Even after the success of last year, that hunger is greater than ever – and it’s the same for me, too. The Mercedes car I am driving right now is the best I have ever had in my career.”
The Brit reportedly negotiated the contract extension himself, which clearly hasn’t distracted him from going 20 points clear at the top of the table this season after just a handful of Grand Prix events.