McLaren has upped its offer to Lewis Hamilton in a bid to retain the 2008-champion for 2013 and beyond.
Mercedes have reportedly offered Hamilton upwards of £12 million per season in a bid to lure him to the Anglo-German outfit. That amount is believed to be significantly more than McLaren’s original offer.
However in light of his recent performances and increased speculation that he has agreed terms with Mercedes, McLaren have upped their offering to match that of their rival.
With money now not being an issue, the main point of negotiation surrounds his commerical freedom which is restricted at McLaren due to their wide-ranging sponsors which could conflict with personal sponsors. This isn’t such an issue at Mercedes because the team is funded by a manufacturer rather than sponsors alone.
This would leave Hamilton and his management company XIX Entertainment greater freedom to find external sponsors, therefore vastly increasing his salary outside of Formula 1.