F1 Driver Lewis Hamilton Voices Frustration As Contract Talks Drag On

Reigning F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has described his ongoing contract issues as "a pain in the backside" as he has become "mired in paperwork," according to the PA. Following the Malaysian Grand Prix, Hamilton claimed his new deal with Mercedes, worth an estimated £21M ($31M) per year, was "99.6% done" and was "now in the hands of his lawyers." But the "fine print of the terms and conditions means the 30-year-old, who opted on this occasion -- and for the first time in his career -- to negotiate for himself without an agent, is becoming frustrated." Hamilton said that it now means "it is unlikely" the contract will be signed before this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix. Hamilton: "Obviously at the last race I said it would be done within a week. This is my first time negotiating myself and you don't know how many times I've had to read about 80 pages. It is so much reading and it is all in lawyer jargon, so it has been quite a pain in the backside to be honest" (PA, 4/9).