Lewis Hamilton has insisted that Mercedes have a “lot of work to do” to take the fight to Red Bull and Max Verstappen, as the seven-time World Champion sets his sights on getting back to the front.
It was announced on Thursday ahead of the Italian Grand Prix that Hamilton had finally agreed on a new contract with Mercedes, keeping him at the Silver Arrows until at least the end of 2025.
Hamilton’s new two-year deal is believed to be worth a staggering £50 million, according to The Telegraph, moving him back to the top of the highest earners list on the grid.
The 38-year-old remains hungry to win and is eager for Mercedes to get back to the front of field, something which is certainly no easy task.
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He’s already called for the Brackley-based team to switch their focus to designing their car for 2024, due to Red Bull and Verstappen having almost sealed both titles this season.
Having had ties to Mercedes since he was just a teenager, the driver revealed ahead of the weekend that he “couldn’t be happier” to be sticking with the Germans for two more years, with him insisting that the duo “still have unfinished business”.
“You’re all stuck with me for a little bit longer,” said Hamilton on Thursday ahead of the weekend, as reported by TopGear.com.
“Honestly, I couldn’t be happier to be extending with this team. And we still have unfinished business. We are in this together, we’ve got a lot of work to do to get ourselves back to the front, but there’s no place I’d rather be.”
As he’s signed a two-year extension, Hamilton will remain on the grid into his 40s, with him set to turn 40 years old on January 7 2025.
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He’d previously been against the idea of racing into his 40s; however, the 103-time race winner has had a change of heart and is now happy to do so, as he’s still loving what he does.
“I still have that love for what I’m doing,” Hamilton said.
“I still love getting in the car. I still love racing with my peers… I love that feeling of when you have the lows together and when you have the highs together, there’s nothing like it.”