Verstappen's record run overshadowed by questions over Hamilton's future

The headlines may belong to Max Verstappen yet again but Formula One’s rumour mill has a burning fascination for just one man – Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.

The seven-time world champion is the highest profile figure still to commit his future to his team for 2024. And more strange for the fact that his value to Silver Arrows is beyond dispute.

Hamilton is, without doubt, the sport’s biggest attraction globally even though Red Bull's reigning double world champion Verstappen, on his record run, is the man of the moment.

Hamilton is the only driver who transcends the sport and can just as easily move the needle in the United States, the UAE or Brazil as F1’s traditional heartland of Europe.

The Briton's diversity campaigns and romantic links to various supermodels and singing superstars like Nicole Scherzinger and Rihanna have helped give him enormous social media clout beyond motorsport.

He has eight million Twitter followers and 34 million more  on Instagram, where he could reputedly sell a single advert for Dh1.8 million.

In 11 years of unparalleled success with Mercedes the Brit has won six driver crowns and seven constructors' titles.

So what is causing the delay when all the other leading drivers committed long ago?

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton could only finish sixth at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix. Getty

Verstappen has signed to Red Bull way beyond 2024, to 2028 and Lando Norris has committed to McLaren until 2025.

It’s a reasonable assumption that Hamilton’s key motivation is to be at the wheel of a car that will take him to an elusive eighth world title so he can retire, undisputed, as the sport’s greatest driver.

If it were all about blind loyalty to Mercedes in tough times the deal would have been done long ago.