Lewis Hamilton does not want to wait another year before deciding his future in Formula 1. The British racing driver is keen to begin talks with his current employers, the Mercedes AMG Petronas racing team, and thrash out a new deal at the earliest.

The seven-time F1 world champion has already made it clear that he intends to remain in the sport beyond his current contract, which expires at the end of the 2021 season. Hamilton is hoping to avoid last season's saga and begin talks at the earliest.

The Briton was a free agent until just a month before pre-season testing got underway for the 2021 season after failing to agree a new deal with Mercedes earlier. The talks were ongoing for a number of months before it finally concluded with Hamilton agreeing on a one-year deal, which is unusual for the reigning champion.

Hamilton is keen to avoid repeating the situation and is hoping he can begin talks with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff at the earliest. The newly knighted Mercedes driver said that he will be happy if a new deal can be agreed prior to F1's annual summer break in July.

"We never want to be in the position we were in January and February," Sir Lewis said, as quoted by the Daily Mail. "It ruined my whole winter. And I am sure it wasn't helpful for Toto (Wolff, team principal)."

"We couldn't be off and relax, so it felt like we didn't have much of a break. We have to be sensible and not rush anything, but to open conversations," he added. "It is never a super-simple procedure. But I hope, as long as it doesn't interfere with the job, we can start talking soon."

"It would be great to get something in place before the break so we have a clearer picture of the future."

There were reports suggesting Hamilton had fallen out with the team after they refused to meet his demands of a long-term contract with a substantial pay rise. However, it does not seem the case as the two – the driver and the team – seem to be in perfect harmony as they lead both the championships in 2021.

Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton, pictured in November 2020, is aiming to win an eighth world title to overtake Michael Schumacher Clive Mason/POOL