Max Verstappen issues advice to Lewis Hamilton ahead of Mercedes contract discussions | F1 | Sport

Max Verstappen has urged Lewis Hamilton to stay in F1 for “as long as he wants to race” with his bitter rival set to discuss a contract extension with Mercedes. The Red Bull star said Hamilton has to “do what he feels is right” as the Brit weighs up a new deal.

Verstappen seems to call on Hamilton to remain in the sport, suggesting he could be competitive again in the “coming years”. The Dutchman predicted teams will “get a bit closer” to each other which could make the on-track battles more exciting,

Verstappen said: “He has to do what he feels is right and as long as he wants to race, he should do it. From our side, we have had already great battles. I’m sure that in the coming years, all of the teams will get a bit closer anyway so it will be interesting to see who is up there to fight.”

Hamilton’s current contract expires at the end of the 2023 season but he has hinted on several occasions that he could extend it.

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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has previously confirmed a new contract for Hamilton “is going to happen”. The Austrian has claimed Hamilton could be in the sport for at least another five years which will take him up to his mid-40s.

Wolff confirmed the plan was to start negotiations at the end of the season. He explained: “We haven’t started having talks. We want to definitely finish the season and then find some quiet time over the winter like we have done last time around, that literally started in the winter holidays and lasted over two months. We haven’t done that.”