Hamilton wants $50m a year for new contract (Update)

All the black people in Africa who live like this. Maybe Hamilton will agree to drive for free and send all his salary to Africa to help these poor people.

UPDATE This rumor is downgraded to 'false' today. Hamilton responded to these salary demand rumors on Saturday morning ahead of final practice for the 2020 season-opening Austrian Grand Prix.

“So the media keep writing about (my) contract and me making demands but I haven’t even spoken to Toto about it yet," Hamilton wrote on Instagram.

“No demands, the conversations hasn’t even begun.

"So please stop making shit up."

07/02/20 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton wants $50 million a year to renew his contract with Mercedes, according to Britain's Daily Mail newspaper.

The news, reportedly confirmed by a "source close" to the six-time world champion, comes after team boss Toto Wolff revealed that Hamilton was behind the decision to switch from a silver to black livery for 2020.

Both Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas' contracts expire this year, and the Daily Mail said the 35-year-old Briton wants 40 million pounds sterling each season.

A pay-rise amid the global corona and economic crisis might seem unlikely, but Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko thinks Mercedes will make it happen.

Told that Mercedes will be unwilling to shell out more for Hamilton amid the downturn, Marko said this week: "Then someone else will pay it.

"Petronas only has to transfer a little less to the team and send it to Hamilton instead."

The German news agency DPA is reporting ahead of the 2020 season re-start in Austria that Hamilton appears to want to stay at Mercedes for the foreseeable future.

"We want to build a legacy together that goes beyond sport," he is quoted as saying.