Sep 17, 2012 06:13 AM EDT
Formula One: Lewis Hamilton: I Haven’t Signed With Anybody yet

British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton brushed aside rumors of him leaving McLaren to join Mercedes next year.

Speaking to reporters in India, Hamilton said: "I have not signed up with anyone. I have to get that (contract) sorted out (with McLaren). People are doing this in the background.

"Lot of stories are written about it, lot of speculations. But I don't get distracted by this rubbish. I am 100 percent focused on the world championship."

The 27-year-old McLaren driver was in Mumbai as part of a promotional event that saw him race his car to a packed audience at a no-holds-barred speed festival.

According to reports, the Briton, was reportedly considering a move to Mercedes with the team offering him a three-year £60 million ($97 million) contract as their primary driver expected to replace Michael Schumacher.

Also, it is understood that the McLaren offer to extend his contract that expires at the end of the current season is considerably less than his existing £15-million-a-year ($24 million) deal.

Hamilton goes into the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend expecting to slash a sizeable slice of 37-point lead that championship leader Fernando Alonso of Ferrari is enjoying.

The Briton has seven races to overcome his rival's advantage, but is in danger of being distracted by the rumors. This despite that fact that Hamilton started his career with McLaren and even led them to championship victory in 2008, the very second year of his F1 career with the team.

 "I don't have a timeline, and my focus is on trying to win this world championship," Hamilton said. "Of course, I have to have those things sorted out, but I have people in the background working on those contract negotiations.

 "I've been with the team since I was 13 and we've worked so hard since 2009 to try and win this championship. Hopefully, finally, we're in the position where we can. The most important thing is that I do not get distracted by all the rubbish that's been around."

Speaking about the current season, Hamilton said: "We're in a very, very strong position, we're getting stronger and we will get stronger through the rest of this year." 

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