Jenson Button believes Lewis Hamilton's drive to win an unprecedented eighth F1 world title will lead to him signing a new deal at Mercedes.
For the second successive season, the Silver Arrows have struggled to keep pace with front runners Red Bull, with rumours rife that the 38-year-old will retire at the end of 2023 if he feels he's unable to challenge for the world championship. That's despite team principal Toto Wolff insisting he will "bang heads together" to ensure the all-time great extends his deal beyond 2023.
Ahead of the current campaign Button, who partnered Hamilton at McLaren from 2010-2012, implied that Hamilton would only be willing to negotiate with Wolff and co if he could be provided with a winning car. But amid promises of new upgrades at Mercedes ahead of the San Marino Grand Prix weekend from May 19-21, the Sky Sports F1 pundit now believes his compatriot is not yet ready to ride into the sunset.
