Mercedes have reportedly secured a lucrative sponsorship agreement with Adidas to replace their current deal with Puma and Tommy Hilfiger as they prepare for life after Lewis Hamilton.
The seven-time world champion has been a global ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger since 2018 with the fashion brand being associated with Mercedes in a multi-million pound contract.
The year prior, Hamilton signed also agreed a deal to become an ambassador for Puma, who supplied Mercedes’ kit before the British driver joined them in 2014.
As an ambassador for both brands, Hamilton ended up being crucial to Mercedes’ commercial arm.
Mercedes are preparing for life after Lewis Hamilton
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But the Silver Arrows have been forced to look elsewhere to keep the commercial side of things from going under once Hamilton leaves to join Ferrari.
According to the Daily Mail, Mercedes have already agreed a deal for Adidas to come in as the team’s new clothing and merchandising partner from 2025.
And it doesn’t seem losing Hamilton has hurt Mercedes commercially as the deal with adidas is said to be worth more than the current £6m-a-year deal.
Adidas are one of the biggest global partners in sports clothing and have a long-standing relationship with icons such as Lionel Messi, David Beckham, James Harden and Mohamed Salah.
The deal with Mercedes is also seen as a boost for Adidas, who recently lost their kit deal with the Germany national side to Nike.
Mercedes’ next aim is to try and find the right replacement for Hamilton to drive alongside George Russell next season.
Toto Wolff appears to have kept an open mind on who he would likely choose, although he’s hinted that Max Verstappen would be his preference.
The Dutchman’s contract with Red Bull doesn’t expire until 2028, but it is said to have a few release clauses like the one Hamilton used to leave Mercedes early.
Lewis Hamilton has been a brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger for years
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Wolff has been bashful with his comments about Verstappen and risks angering Red Bull.
He was asked at last week’s Australian Grand Prix whether Verstappen was his top choice, to which he replied: “Yes. You see what his performance levels are.
“But I wouldn’t want to discount the other ones, too.
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“We’ve got to look at ourselves and say, ‘What is it that we can do with this car?’.
“And then it becomes much easier for whoever drives the second car, much easier for George, because he has the potential of being a world champion.
“And it’s much more the team’s problem to solve than really looking for a silver bullet with an amazing driver.”
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