July 03, (THEWILL) – It was long in the making and longer than expected for it to be completed, but after a lengthy spell of negotiations and rumours, seven-time Formula 1 champion, Sir Lewis Hamilton, has signed a new two-year contract with the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team.
Hamilton expressed how pleasurable it had been working with the unit in his remarks about the new deal: “It is hard to believe it’s been nearly nine years working with this incredible team and I’m excited we’re going to continue our partnership for two more years.
“We’ve accomplished so much together but we still have a lot to achieve, both on and off the track.”
The contract extends Hamilton’s deal with Mercedes through to the end of the 2023 season. This is an indication that the Brit racing driver will stay committed to F1 until the age of 38 and beyond, depending on what happens in 2023.
Toto Wolff, Team principal, who has never been coy about the value Mercedes places on Hamilton said: “As we enter a new era of F1 from 2022 onwards, there can be no better driver to have in our team than Lewis. His achievements in this sport speak for themselves, and with his experience, speed and race-craft, he is at the peak of his powers.
“We are relishing the battle we have on our hands this year – and that’s why we also wanted to agree this contract early, so we have no distractions from the competition on track.
“I have always said that as long as lewis still possesses the fire for racing, he can continue as long as he wants.”
Although the 36-year-old race driver won six of his seven F1 titles racing for Mercedes, wins have been tough to come by this season as they have been upstaged in the podium-finishing battle by closest rivals Red Bull.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s lead driver and leader of constructor standings, has literally taken the bull by the horns to race to an 18-point lead over Hamilton and Mercedes in the 2021 championship race. That notwithstanding, the confidence behind retaining Hamilton to 2023 illustrates their confidence in his ability to deliver in spite of Red Bull’s bravado.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
