Hamilton already in final year of existing contract with Silver Arrows; Lewis himself conducting his own negotiations
Monday 16 March 2015 14:17, UK
Lewis Hamilton says he is "in the final stages" of agreeing a new deal with Mercedes.
Hamilton's current contract is up later this year, and the reigning world champion has been conducting his own negotiations in the wake of last year's split with his management company.
Those talks are yet to yield an agreement, but with the new season now just a week away an end is finally in sight.
"Hopefully we're in the final stages," he said. "I don't really know what the timeline is. We're not rushing, but we're very much in the last stages of it."
Asked whether the lack of a deal might have an impact on his title defence he said: "I don't think it makes a difference, not in terms of my preparations.
"It might for the team, although I don't think so. We're committed for this year anyway, contractually, so it would just be one less thing to think about."
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff last month denied Hamilton was demanding £1m a week to sign on, and Hamilton insists the talks have mostly been amicable.
"Toto and Niki Lauda (non-executive chairman) are very easy to speak to. It's not all just cold. Whilst it's business, we've a respect for each other and a willingness on both sides to want to continue working together which has made it so much easier.
"Have I enjoyed it? I'm not too sure. It's been an experience. Learning something new and experiencing something like this, I'm glad I've done it. If I'd gone through my whole career and not done something like this then I would have always been wondering if I could or not.
"It's a very, very nerve-racking kind of experience, but I just tried to do the best job I possibly could."
The new deal - when it arrives - will be for "a few more years", according to Hamilton, who added he did not know whether it would be his last in F1.
"It's very difficult to say," he said. "It's very difficult to envisage anything in the future, but for the next few years, for the foreseeable future, I'm committed to this team."
