“He had made his mind up he was going. Whether he has changed now I don’t
know.”
Given the current economic climate, Hamilton was initially offered a pay cut
of a third on his £10million-per-year deal, putting him on a par with
team-mate Jenson Button.
That was understood to be McLaren’s final offer, however, it has now been
suggested the team have increased that by a further £2million.
A decision on Hamilton’s future is expected imminently, with Niki Lauda set
to be offered a senior role at Mercedes in the event that the 2008
world champion signs for the team.