Hamilton: I'm not negotiating a contract, time is on my side.
Lewis Hamilton loves to impress the public and today he rolled into the Monaco paddock on a silver Ducati motorcycle of the rare Panigale V4 S 100 version. This variant of the base model was released in a limited edition of only 100 units to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Italian company, and its 4-cylinder engine with a displacement of about one liter produces around 216 hp with the motorcycle weighing just 187 kg.
Of course, the Ducati of the seven-time world champion has also been customized to his special order, especially since the Ferrari driver doesn't just love two-wheeled transport. At one time, he participated in tests alongside SuperBike riders, which could have ended badly, but it turned out fine. Also, in 2019, he had the chance to ride a Yamaha MotoGP bike on the track in Valencia, Spain.
However, today in Monaco, he was asked questions not about motorcycles – the press was primarily interested in his reaction to yesterday's news that his teammate, Charles Leclerc, extended his contract with Ferrari, which experts believe is for at least four years, if not longer.
"I think we have worked well together, and the collaboration with the team is going well," Hamilton commented on Sky Sports. "We are both pushing our team, which is led by Frederic Vasseur and other great people, although they remain in the shadows, and the engineers are doing everything possible to upgrade the car. I think we are doing great.
As for expectations this weekend, I would say that this track suits our car better than some others. For example, in Montreal, we lost quite a bit on the straights, but here, of course, we will lose much less. I also don't think that the power deficit issue will be significantly noticeable in Monaco. Our car handles the slow sections of the track well, so I believe we will be quite competitive here."
When Lewis was asked if he is thinking about extending his contract with Ferrari, the British driver replied: "No, I still have time for that. I have plenty of time. I'm not thinking about it yet and I'm not negotiating about it."
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