Lewis Hamilton’s contract extension with Mercedes might be the worst kept secret in Formula 1, as the 37-year-old is set to sign a multi-year contract extension over the winter break.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has confirmed the rumours that Hamilton will be extending his stay with the Silver Arrows, claiming that talks have not stalled, the pair just simply prefer to conduct their business outside of the season.
Hamilton had previously said that he had no intention to race into his 40’s like Fernando Alonso, but the heartbreak of Abu Dhabi, combined with his desire to win a record breaking eighth world title, look set to keep the 37-year-old in Formula 1 for the foreseeable future.
“It’s not forever but something inside is telling me: ‘you’re not done yet, you’ve got to keep pushing. You’ve got more top achieve’,” explained the Brit.
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“It’s going to be hard one day, stopping racing. I’ve done it for 30 years and it will be 30-plus years when I do eventually stop.
“Luckily for me, right this second, it’s not now.”
The Stevenage-born veteran has claimed that his family have had a huge influence on his decision to continue racing, but admits that his sister and mother have begun to notice the toll that motorsport takes on him.
“My dad and my brother, they’re like, ‘Yeah, keep racing forever,’ because they are racers,” he said.
“For my mum and my sister? I can definitely sense they want me to do whatever I want to do.
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“They can also see how tiring it is, that it weighs heavy on you. Sometimes when I go around to my sister’s house I just pass out on the couch!”
The seven-time world champion’s decision to extend his stay at Mercedes comes as the biggest indicator yet of the team’s 2023 ambitions, as it is unlikely that Hamilton would have chosen to sign a contract extension if the team did not believe they could get back to winning ways next year.
It looks like there is a changing of the guards set to take place at Mercedes, with the young George Russell proving that he has what it takes to beat Hamilton in his debut season with the team, but Hamilton will be hoping that he gets to taste championship glory again before Russell has his time in the sun.