Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton has been a sensation in the F1 sport since the day he debuted. With McLaren, he had the greatest rookie season in F1’s history. He won four races in his F1 debut. Later, in his second season, Hamilton won his maiden title. As a result, he grabbed the shortest time any Formula One driver ever had to wait for the maiden F1 title. Hence, he is among the best beginners in the sport. Indeed he had a great start to his career with McLaren.
Coincidentally enough, the team might have been McLaren, but the car’s engine belonged to Mercedes. Hence, the seven-time champion has been driving Mercedes-powered cars all his F1 career. On the other hand, his contract with Mercedes is ending after this season. When will there be the confirmation of the contract extension between Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton? This question has been a hot topic of discussion ever since the start of this season. But Toto Wolff did not reveal a date yet.
F1 Reporter Suggests The Contract Extension Is A Matter Of ‘When’ Not ‘If’
Looks like Lewis Hamilton is unwilling to leave Mercedes so soon. He has collaborated with the Silver Arrows throughout his 15-year-long F1 career. On many platforms, Hamilton mentioned as long as he and Wolff have a solid understanding, he will stay with Mercedes. On top of that, Principal Toto Wolff mentioned they have signed the extension emotionally but signing it formally is only a matter of time. Recently, an F1 reporter, Lawrence Barretto, revealed it is not a matter of “if but when” they will sign the contracts.
Barretto added that Mercedes is the best sit for Lewis Hamilton in 2024 alongside George Russell. There had been rumors that Ferrari showed interest in signing Hamilton. But it might not see any fruitful result as the contract extension will happen inevitably. However, it is not the first time they have delayed signing contract extensions as Barretto said it was a similar situation in 2021 as well. But Barretto added that both parties agreed on the key terms – money and duration.
The Collaboration Between Lewis Hamilton And Mercedes Has Been Epic
Lewis Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013, along with Toto Wolff as the team principal, and the rest is history. The team went on to win and dominate the grid for eight years in a row. Moreover, Lewis Hamilton won six titles in the turbo-hybrid era. He equaled the great Michael Schumacher’s seven-title-win record in 2020. Since then, Lewis Hamilton has been waiting for his moment to surpass the great German racer.
But he missed his chance in 2021 narrowly as he lost to Max Verstappen in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021. However, in 2022 the Silver Arrows lost their grip on the title. They have not been able to build the fastest car on the grid in the cost-cap era. On the other hand, their arch-rival, Red Bull, has taken their place as the dominant team. But the question fans and experts ponder around is how long Hamilton has to win his eighth title. He is 38 years now. It does not look like he will be able to beat Max Verstappen to win the title this year.
