Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes F1 "are in deadlock over his new contract," according to Jonathan McEvoy of the London DAILY MAIL. Hamilton is demanding €200M ($224M) over three years, "a figure that would put him on a par with Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari as the highest-paid driver on the grid." But the Mercedes board at Stuttgart is "believed to be unwilling to rip up their entire pay structure to accommodate the world champion." It is also understood that Hamilton "has requested to keep all his trophies and his winning car -- a further demand that his German bosses may not be ready to accede to." Officially, both Mercedes and Hamilton are "saying everything is fine and that the deal will be clinched." It "may well be in the end, but why, if everything has already been ironed out, has he yet to commit his future to the team after months of negotiations?" Hamilton is negotiating his new terms with the help of his lawyer, Sue Thackeray, "perhaps the most trusted lieutenant in the Hamilton circle, having worked with both Lewis and his father Anthony for many years" (DAILY MAIL, 5/9).
