Lewis Hamilton has confirmed that his new Mercedes contract is “nearly there”, ending all speculation of him potentially leaving the Silver Arrows.
The seven-time World Champion is currently on contracted until the end of 2023, with a new deal having taken considerably longer to be confirmed than most expected.
It was originally assumed that a new deal would be sorted during the winter break ahead of the 2023 season; however, this was clearly not the case.
The longer negotiations have gone on, the more a Mercedes exit has been speculated.
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It was reported by the Daily Mail that Ferrari were considering a $50 million swoop for the 103-time race winner, who’s consistently rejected suggestions that he could leave Mercedes.
Both Hamilton and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff have stressed during the first half of 2023 that a new contract will be agreed upon, but that there was no need to rush.
That new contract is supposedly “almost” ready to be signed, with Hamilton having revealed that negotiations have almost concluded.
“Naturally in contract negotiations there is always going to be speculation, and ultimately, unless you hear from me, that’s what it is,” Hamilton told Speedcafe.com.
“My team has been working hard behind the scenes with Toto. We’re almost at the end of getting a contract ready. We’re almost there.”
It’s been rumoured that Hamilton’s deal will be for an additional two seasons with the Brackley-based team, which would take him to the end of 2025.
Mercedes team-mate George Russell is also contracted until the end of 2025, after the Silver Arrows took up an option to extend the 25-year-old’s deal by a further year.
Should Hamilton’s deal be for two years, then his next negotiations will come ahead of the new power unit regulations in 2026, where Mercedes could return to the top.
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At the same time, 2025 could therefore mark a suitable time for the 38-year-old to leave the pinnacle of motorsport, ahead of new regulations being introduced.
By the time the 2025 season does end, Hamilton will be 40 years old, meaning he could very easily continue into the new power unit regulations.
Fernando Alonso’s deal isn’t set to conclude at Aston Martin until he’s 43 years old, with him also still performing to a very high level, proving that Hamilton could race into his 40s.