Mercedes Provide Update On Lewis Hamilton’s Contract Situation as F1 Star Enters Last Year Of His Deal

38-year-old Formula One star Lewis Hamilton endured a nightmare season in 2022, where he finished in the sixth spot in the drivers’ championship, which represents the worst individual performance of his entire professional F1 career. However, Mercedes are confident that the British driver will not be leaving the team ahead of the upcoming season.

Hamilton first drove for Mercedes in 2013, and he has picked up six of his seven F1 titles with the team, but last season would have certainly put things in perspective for the experienced performer.

Wherever Hamilton goes, so do his legion of fans and have done so ever since he made his debut in the sport back in 2007, and you should never write off a driver of his obvious supreme quality. Indeed if you fancy a flutter on the seven-time world champion, then check out these legal motorsports sportsbooks and take advantage of the in-depth analysis of the options open to you.

Hamilton is about to enter the final year of his Mercedes contract, but team boss Toto Wolff, who has a fair few items to take care of over the break, is confident that he won’t be considering leaving any time soon;

“Well, the job list is pretty long with what’s needed to be done,”

“Certainly, Lewis’s contract is one of the topics that we will tackle over the winter, but there is no firm deadline.”

 

Wolff believes that Hamilton’s ongoing battle with Red Bull drive Max Verstappen, who has won the last two titles, could prove a motivating factor;

“I think one of his strengths is that he’s always hungry; he’s always eager.”

“He’s a great sportsman, but he’s also someone that’s extremely driven and determined.”

Hamilton has previously stated his desire to retire as world champion but has also made it clear that F1 isn’t his entire life;

“When I was a kid, maybe it was. Probably also when I got into Formula 1. Ever since I was in my 30s, I’ve realized that it’s all about making memories. With friends, with family. It’s about key memories with the people who mean the most to you.”

“That’s what I focus on and plan things to create those moments. Because that’s what you take with you in the long run.”

“Sometimes you wake up and have this feeling: I don’t want to do this anymore. And sometimes you wake up and think: I can still do other things my whole life; there is definitely more I want to achieve. It won’t be a terribly long time now, but I’ll definitely be staying.”

“I think retiring as a world champion is a dream that every athlete has – and so do I.”

The 2023 season starts on the 5th of March, and Hamilton will hope that Mercedes improve the quality and reliability of the car they provide him with, as currently, he’s a country mile behind Verstappen and will need to pull out all the stops to make up ground on the champion-elect.