McLaren watching Hamilton’s moves with interest

Lewis Hamilton’s former team McLaren are watching his contract situationwith interest, even if the four times Formula One world champion andMercedes have said they want to stay together.The 33-year-old Briton has a season left to run on his current contractbut is expected to sign a new multi-year agreement with the team thathas won both championships for the past four years.Nothing appears to have been signed yet, however, allowing rivals to indulge in what may be little more than flights of fantasy.“I don’t think there’s a team in the pitlane that wouldn’t be interestedin having Lewis drive for them, us included,” McLaren’s executivedirector Zak Brown told reporters when asked about the situation.“If anyone got Lewis, it would be great for the team. He has a greathistory here and he is very friendly with the shareholders,” added theAmerican, who joined the Woking-based outfit at the end of 2016.Hamilton won his first title with McLaren in 2008, a year after hisdebut, before moving to Mercedes in 2013 and taking three morechampionships.The sport’s most high-profile driver, who enjoys a private jet and allthe trappings of success, said last November he expected a new contractto be straightforward — a sentiment echoed by team boss and shareholderToto Wolff.“Lewis has become such an important pillar within the team that it’s ano-brainer that we continue with each other,” said the Austrian.Brown felt any delay in signing was likely to be more down to Hamilton than the team.“I am going to guess that he’s contemplating how much longer he wants togo,” he said. “If you’re Lewis, with what you’ve done with Mercedes andwhere Mercedes are headed, you’d re-sign with the team.“He’s talked about when he stops, so that would be my guess. I can’t imagine it’s money or the quality of the team.“He just might be going ‘let me see how this year goes, what’s the rush?They’re not going to sell the seat from underneath me’. That would bemy speculation.“We might find they actually have signed and are just not telling us.”The season starts in Australia on March 25.Ferrari are likely to have a vacancy at the end of the season, with 2007champion Kimi Raikkonen out of contract, and the sport’s oldest andmost successful team also have a special allure.McLaren are the second most successful team but have not won a racesince 2012 and finished ninth of 10 teams last year, splitting withHonda and starting a new partnership with Renault.They are hoping to be challenging for the podium again this campaign.