Lewis Hamilton hit out at Jenson Button and Damon Hill after they claimed the seven-time world champion was waiting to see how competitive his car is before signing a new deal with Mercedes.
Hamilton and team boss Toto Wolff pledged to thrash out a new deal over the winter after declaring their desire to do so towards the end of last season. But the first race weekend of 2023 has arrived and there is still no news of fresh terms for the 38-year-old.
The lack of updates has led to significant speculation about why that is the case. Hamilton's current deal expires at the end of this year, and some have suggested that he could choose to end his Formula 1 career after all if the Silver Arrows suffer another difficult season.
