Lauda confirms Hamilton and Bottas line-up for 2019

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Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda is adamant that Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will be racing for the Silver Arrows squad in 2019.

Hamilton's negotiations with Mercedes have been lingering - and on the verge of a positive conclusion - since the end of last year, while his team mate required a bit of confirmation in the form of performance to merit an extension of his deal.

According to Lauda however, both men will be racing for Mercedes in the future.

Pen and paper ready for Hamilton's $52M mega deal!

"I guarantee that in the coming year Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will drive for Mercedes," he told broadcaster ORF in Austria.

"That is settled," he confirmed.

Hamilton's new two-year contract is rumored to worth a whopping $50 million a year, a deal that would put him at the top of the UK's highest paid athletes' list.

Mercedes is expected to put the issue of its driver lune-up to rest this week, on the run-up to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.