Vettel courted by McLaren and Mercedes, Hamilton tempers

Nico Rosberg has just extended his contract until 2017 with Mercedes. The future of the current championship leader thus seems to be written in silver. The same observation could be made on Lewis Hamilton’s side, whose contract ends at the end of 2015.

For Jacques Villeneuve, interviewed by Sport Bild, the situation of the Briton seems more uncertain than it appears. He explains: Lewis Hamilton won’t be there for long. Everyone in the German team wants Nico Rosberg to be world champion. Lewis is just the competitor needed for Nico to do even better.

On the contrary, Lewis Hamilton reaffirmed his desire to stay with Mercedes this Thursday. The English driver spoke to *Autosport* about the rumor of Sebastian Vettel taking his seat: « Another German driver? I’m not sure that’s Mercedes’ wish. For now, I’m here until the end of next year, so it won’t be happening anytime soon. But Mercedes are the best, so everyone wants to drive for Mercedes. »

The 2008 world champion added, regarding negotiations on his contract extension: « I have shown my interest in sitting down at a table and talking. We have not sat down yet, but the team knows I would like to push to continue, and they have made it clear they would like to do the same. »

Hamilton to recall his long history with the star brand, since his beginnings with McLaren: « I have been with Mercedes since I was 13 years old, so I really feel like I have Mercedes tattooed on my chest. It’s like a family to me. You never know what can happen to you in the future; I don’t see myself anywhere else in particular. If Mercedes wants someone else, I’m not going to whine. There are places for everyone »

Moreover, Toto Wolff, the executive director of Mercedes, recently had a cycling accident, indicated that he does not want to comment: « The environment is too competitive to discuss publicly. We are in discussions with the top drivers in the paddock. Unfortunately, these drivers are sought after by the best teams. Therefore, we are trying to build a strategy on the best way to proceed, and then we make a decision ».

The director of the young drivers program and influential Red Bull member, Helmut Marko, confirmed that the four-time German world champion was in demand: « Of course he is in demand. McLaren Honda made a very high offer to Vettel ». As a reminder, Ron Dennis had spoken before the British Grand Prix, deeming Jenson Button’s performances unsatisfactory, enough to spark interest in the Red Bull driver?

Still for Sport Bild, Jacques Villeneuve advises Vettel to leave Red Bull: “Sebastian must move on from Red Bull. The public will have a better opinion of him. Right now, he is in an average car, which is why his performances are average.” The former 1997 world champion advises the four-time titleholder to think carefully: “At Mercedes, the brand is more important, not the driver. That is why the team has been recognized for that for a long time.”

For his part, the German driver spoke at a press conference and also wanted to dismiss these rumors: « I think any offer should be considered but nothing has changed. I’m still not talking about these things. I don’t know what sources Helmut has, or doesn’t have, but they seem to vary, let’s say. »