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Lewis Hamilton has said he will sideline emotion during his forthcoming negotiations for a new - or the end of - McLaren contract.
Warning of a pay dispute, team boss Ron Dennis recently admitted he hoped the fact that he groomed Hamilton from childhood to championship will be a factor in the 27-year-old's deliberations for 2013 and beyond.
Hamilton, however, asked if McLaren and Dennis's long support and devotion would indeed play a role in the talks, told O Estado de S.Paulo that reality was different.
'BUSINESS IS BUSINESS'
The Briton said: "Of course Ron is going to say that - 'you started your life with us', as he always does and I will always thank him for what he did for me. Even after I won in Montreal (in June, 2012), in the moments after the podium I told him 'thank you for giving me this opportunity'.
"Now... I don't think this is about my contract negotiations. Business is business."
When asked how the negotiations were proceeding, he answered: "Almost everything is decided already, but I can't say anything now."
At any rate, he's feeling confident about the future, with his former nemesis Fernando Alonso suggesting recently that only he and Hamilton can win races at the wheel of inferior cars. The implication was that Sebastian Vettel is not quite at that level.
When asked about Alonso's claims, Hamilton said: "I have my opinion about it, but it's not appropriate for me to say what it is. I'll leave it as what is said between the drivers but it would be very interesting to see the three of us with the same car. Maybe Fernando is right.
"I have been team mates with Fernando, and I'd love to be with Sebastian as well. It would not be a problem for me."
Warning of a pay dispute, team boss Ron Dennis recently admitted he hoped the fact that he groomed Hamilton from childhood to championship will be a factor in the 27-year-old's deliberations for 2013 and beyond.
Hamilton, however, asked if McLaren and Dennis's long support and devotion would indeed play a role in the talks, told O Estado de S.Paulo that reality was different.
'BUSINESS IS BUSINESS'
The Briton said: "Of course Ron is going to say that - 'you started your life with us', as he always does and I will always thank him for what he did for me. Even after I won in Montreal (in June, 2012), in the moments after the podium I told him 'thank you for giving me this opportunity'.
"Now... I don't think this is about my contract negotiations. Business is business."
When asked how the negotiations were proceeding, he answered: "Almost everything is decided already, but I can't say anything now."
At any rate, he's feeling confident about the future, with his former nemesis Fernando Alonso suggesting recently that only he and Hamilton can win races at the wheel of inferior cars. The implication was that Sebastian Vettel is not quite at that level.
When asked about Alonso's claims, Hamilton said: "I have my opinion about it, but it's not appropriate for me to say what it is. I'll leave it as what is said between the drivers but it would be very interesting to see the three of us with the same car. Maybe Fernando is right.
"I have been team mates with Fernando, and I'd love to be with Sebastian as well. It would not be a problem for me."