Mercedes considering an astronomical offer for Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton’s future in F1 remains undecided as speculation spreads like a highly contagious virus that he is considering an offer to switch his allegiance from McLaren to Mercedes.

It’s priced at 8/1 that Hamilton overturns a 47-point deficit and beats table topper, Fernando Alonso, to win his second World Driver’s Championship this season, an achievement he stands a greater chance of making in future seasons should he continue with his current team.

A monstrous £60m ball has reportedly been left in Hamilton’s court by the German giants and, if the 2008 champion were to accept this offer, it would prove his motivations are fiscally fuelled, as opposed to the prospect of success.

Mercedes have had their best season since their 2010 reformation this year, in terms of claiming chequered flags, at least. Nico Rosberg’s triumph in China was the team’s first Grand Prix win of their new era.

In six seasons with McLaren, however, Hamilton has claimed 18 Grand Prix wins. Eight of these have occurred since 2010 when he has been competing against Mercedes’ drivers Rosberg and Michael Schumacher.

Yet more damning evidence insisting upon Mercedes’ inferiority is supplied in Hamilton’s podium finishes compared to their own.

The Brit’s 47 podium places in six years is an outstanding achievement and it’s almost 10 times the amount of times the Mercedes team have been in the top three at the end of a race, including Rosberg’s Chinese achievement.

With McLaren, Hamilton is yet to finish outside of the top five in the Driver’s Championship standings, a run which includes his aforementioned win as well as being a runner up in his maiden campaign.

All of these statistics prove that, behind a McLaren wheel, Hamilton is always in contention for the sport’s top prizes, leaving representatives from franchises such as Mercedes trailing by the wayside.

As constructors, they have registered consecutive fourth place finishes since announcing themselves back on the scene two years ago. An admirable feat, but one that has been brought about through Schumacher and Rosberg’s many top-10 finishes, not their battling for glory at the head of the pack.

It would appear obvious that, although many would be tempted to sign on the dotted line with £60m at stake, Hamilton’s move to Mercedes would represent him selling out as opposed wanting to achieve higher than he already has.

All odds and markets were correct as of the time of publication