Currently reading: Lewis signs £70million McLaren contract

Five-year deal secures Hamilton's number one spot at McLaren

Formula One sensation Lewis Hamilton has signed a new five-year contract, thought to be worth £70million, which will keep him in the McLaren hot seat until 2012. The 23-year-old’s new deal secures him a serious rise in salary compared to the paltry £355,000 he was paid for his rookie season. Not including personal sponsorship deals, Hamilton is set to bag roughly £13.7million a year between now and 2012. He has previously hinted that he would be prepared to stay with McLaren for his whole career.And you can understand why he moved to Switzerland. Lewis would have been hit with a £28million income tax bill from the UK government, had he stayed in Stevenage.

Will Powell

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Jon Hardcastle 8 January 2008

Re: Lewis signs £70million McLaren contract

You cannot deprive her of going to a motor racing event, we need more women interested in motor sport.

She will be forever grateful to you. ahhh

Jon Hardcastle 8 January 2008

Re: Lewis signs £70million McLaren contract

I can't believe it but we disagree, ahh well, all good things must come to an end.

Jenson Button will not get anywhere until Ross Brawn makes his mark, on the form of last year he has certainly got his work cut out.

Lewis will have another good season and so long as the car holds together should take the title this time round. When all said and done, it was always going to be a tall order to do it in his first season.

Jon Hardcastle 7 January 2008

Re: Lewis signs £70million McLaren contract

This should not surprise.

When Colleen (Wayne's Girl) can earn in excess of £13 million (more than Wayne earned in 2007) for being required to front Asda clothing and endorse other mediocre products, our Lewis should be paid this and more for giving up so much of his childhood and teenage years to the sport.

His father should be applauded for supporting Lewis in holding down numerous jobs in order for Lewis to flourish in a sport associated with the rich.

Good luck to them both!