Nico Rosberg makes feelings clear on Lewis Hamilton retiring from F1 as woes worsen
Lewis Hamilton is set to sign a new contract with Mercedes
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Nico Rosberg wants Lewis Hamilton to continue in F1 but is confused by comments made about the 38-year-old signing a new Mercedes contract.
The Brit has struggled this season, with Max Verstappen and Red Bull dominating the sport for the second year on the trot.
Hamilton led for large spells of the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, only to end up finishing fourth.
Before that race, however, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff confirmed the Stevenage-born racer was poised to continue with the team.
Lewis Hamilton new contract has been confirmed by Mercedes chief Toto Wolff
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"The status is we haven't signed it (the contract) but emotionally we have done it," he said.
Rosberg, who had a heated rivalry with Hamilton during his own spell in Formula One, is confused by the Austrian's comments.
Yet he also made it clear he wanted the Mercedes star to continue despite his issues this season.
“Can someone tell me what that means when a contract is emotionally done?" he said.
"I have no idea where they are at, or why Lewis is taking so much time.
"All of us hope that he will continue of course, and it really seems to be the case. Especially with the car progressing now, that’s going to help that contract process also.
"Once Lewis now feels the possibility ‘Hey I can do pole positions again, I can win races, yeah I want to continue doing this’."
Hamilton started his F1 career with McLaren.
However, he's been with Mercedes ever since crossing the divide all the way back in 2013.
The F1 veteran has won six titles with the team in the years since, in addition to the one he claimed during his time at McLaren.
But he currently looks a shadow of his old self, with Hamilton yet to add to his F1 titles since his last victory in 2020.
On Sunday, the Brit missed out on a podium finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
And he admitted afterwards that Verstappen had been superior on the day, saying: "The start, actually, the initial getaway wasn't the worst I've ever had, but it obviously wasn't as good as Max's.
"I had a bit of wheelspin and then obviously Max was on the inside and he ran me wide and I got done by the two McLarens.
"So, definitely not a great start, kind of reminiscent of 2015 when I fell back from first."
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Nico Rosberg wants Lewis Hamilton to continue racing in F1
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He added: "After that, just didn't have the pace to keep up with the guys.
"The balance in the car was pretty awful on that first stint, a lot of understeer and oversteer through corner balance and I just couldn't keep up with them.
"So then, bit by bit, as we got through the next couple of stints, the car started to become more drivable, and then the last stint obviously was much better.
"If we had had the pace we had at the end, we would have been a little bit better I think through the day."
Hamilton will now set his sights on winning the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, a race he's triumphed in on four separate occasions in the past.