Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has said that he is 'aware' of the status of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's interest in buying Manchester United.
The 'soft deadline' to submit bids to purchase the club from the Glazer family is on Friday, meaning time is running out for interested parties to get their plans in order ahead of submitting their offers. Ratcliffe has emerged as one of the leading contenders to buy the club and he confirmed his interest in the race last month.
The British billionaire, who is the owner of French club OGC Nice, hails from Greater Manchester and is a United supporter. As well as being interested in football, Ratcliffe is also an admirer of Formula One and is part-owner of the Mercedes team, for whom Hamilton has won six of his seven world titles.
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Ratcliffe's connections with Mercedes, of course, means that he knows Hamilton and the latter has been linked with the prospect of joining the 70-year-old's bid to purchase the Reds, who are also attracting strong interest from Qatar. However, Hamilton, speaking at the launch event of Mercedes' new car ahead of the new Formula One season getting under way next month, refused to give little away on Ratcliffe's interest in buying United, though he did confirm that he is aware of the INEOS founder's interest and his current status in the bidding race.
"I am very close with Jim so I am aware of where he is at (with United)," said Hamilton. "We talk a lot about football as he is very passionate about it.
"We have great discussions about what his team is doing, we talk about how Arsenal is playing. Obviously he is from Manchester so that is his dream home... where he comes from. But there is no further information I can give you on that."
Although the 38-year-old was coy on Ratcliffe's possible progress with a takeover bid, he did, previously, refuse to rule out the prospect of teaming up with him to form a bid.
Hamilton added: "Jim's part boss but partner – I'd say we're more partners because we're in this together and I hope in future to do something with Jim and build with him. I don't know where that will be or what that will be, so I can't really say.
"I haven't had a call from him asking if I want to be involved in [a United takeover bid] just yet, but I do want to get more and more involved in teams because I really do believe in black ownership – there is a lack of it in sports – and black equity. Again, there is a real lack of that."
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