Lewis Hamilton will remain at Mercedes for the next two seasons having agreed a further contract extension with the team he has driven for since 2013.
The team announced Hamilton and George Russell will be retained as race drivers until the end of the 2025 season.“We dream every day of being the best and we have dedicated the past decade together to achieving that goal,” said Hamilton in a statement released by the team. “Being at the top does not happen overnight or over a short period of time, it takes commitment, hard work and dedication and it’s been an honour to earn our way into the history books with this incredible team.”
Hamilton won six world championships in a seven-year stretch for Mercedes between 2014 and 2020. He came within a lap of winning a record-breaking eighth world championship in 2021, but was denied in controversial circumstances.
He has not won a race since then, as the first car Mercedes built to new technical regulations last year proved uncompetitive. The team is yet to score a victory this year as Red Bull have won every race.
“We have never been hungrier to win,” Hamilton continued. “We have learnt from every success but also every setback.
“We continue to chase our dreams, we continue to fight no matter the challenge and we will win again. I’m grateful to the team who have supported me both on and off the track. Our story isn’t finished, we are determined to achieve more together and we won’t stop until we do.”
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Russell joined Mercedes at the beginning of last year and scored his first grand prix victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix. He said the team has made major strides since its 2022 setback.
“I have grown up with this team ever since joining as part of the junior programme back in 2017,” said Russell. “It’s my home and it feels fantastic to extend our special relationship through 2025.
“After stepping up to the Mercedes race seat last year, I wanted to reward the trust and belief that Toto and the rest of the team placed in me. Taking my first pole position and race win last year was an unforgettable feeling. More importantly though, it’s been great to work with everybody at Brackley and Brixworth to make progress with our car and push forward our development. Their loyalty, vision and hard work is inspiring.
“We have made some significant steps over the last 18 months and are only getting stronger as a team. I’m excited to help continue to build on that momentum as we progress into 2024 and 2025 as we continue to focus on returning to the very front of the pack.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said it was a “straightforward decision” to retain both drivers.
“We have the strongest pairing on the grid and both drivers are playing a crucial role in the team to move us forward,” he said. “The strength and stability they provide will be key building blocks for our future success.”
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The news means Mercedes have locked in their driver line-up until F1’s next overhaul of its regulations in 2026. Wolff said it was “always a formality” that Hamilton would remain at the team and it’s “energising for us all to be confirming that publicly.”
“His qualities as a pure racing driver are illustrated by his remarkable track record,” Wolff continued. “But over our years together, he has grown to become a pillar and leader of our team.
“Those leadership qualities are crucial as we focus on fighting for world championships again. As F1’s biggest global star, he has also played a key role in shaping our commitments to diversity, inclusion and sustainability, that will be foundations for our success in the years ahead.”
Wolff described Russell as “a leading light of his generation” who has “repaid the faith we showed in him when promoting him to a race seat in 2022.”
“His maiden pole position in Hungary and first Grand Prix victory in Sao Paulo were stand-out moments last season. As a driver, he combines razor-sharp speed with the tenacity of a true fighter.
“But he brings, too, an intelligence and attention to detail that will help him to continue to grow, develop and improve further. He is a natural fit to the team and we are delighted to have extended the relationship for the coming years.”
View the current list of 2024 F1 drivers and teams
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2023 Italian Grand Prix
- Despite close battles at Monza, F1 drivers want more powerful DRS
- Monza “frustrating” for Alonso but Aston Martin expect better form in coming races
- F1 changed rules to stop Mercedes in 2021 but we won’t ‘cry foul’ now – Wolff
- McLaren will bring ‘follow-up to Austria upgrade’ before focusing on 2024 car
- Magnussen explains why his driving style rarely works with the Haas VF-23
Armchair Expert (@armchairexpert)
31st August 2023, 13:23
Great news! Their target must be to win at least 1 race in the next 2 years.
jhg103 (@joshgeake)
31st August 2023, 13:28
I’ll be honest, I was kinda hoping he’d retire and leave room for someone younger to fill his seat. E.g. Lando, Ocon or whomever.
Kribana (@krichelle)
31st August 2023, 13:46
If we talk about retiring, Alonso is the one first seriously.
jhg103 (@joshgeake)
31st August 2023, 14:00
Oh definitely, and Hulk etc.
satellite
31st August 2023, 15:51
Hulkenberg 2.5yrs younger than Hamilton.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
31st August 2023, 19:52
Fernando doesn’t need to retire. He’s running third in the World Drivers’ Championship.
tielemst
31st August 2023, 15:13
Looking at the grid now, there are a whole lot of younger drivers that can’t match him (or Alonso). I want to see the best drivers competing, not the youngest.
Shimks (@shimks)
31st August 2023, 19:33
Well said.
Mayrton
1st September 2023, 8:59
I agree with this. Way to much mediocre drivers out there currently. F1 really needs to step up in level of drivers. I mean, if you have to bring back Hulkenberg and Perez out of retirement I guess that says it all. And to think they only need to fill 20 seats. FIA needs to act. Create more equal opportunity, there must be more talent out there.
Jere (@jerejj)
31st August 2023, 13:35
I never once doubted his continuation.
Mayrton
1st September 2023, 9:07
Same here and we are the winners here. Despite me not liking him off track and overall would be fine if he wouldn’t be around anymore, I do value his craft when in the car. For his statistics it is not a good development I guess however. Unless he lands an eight title which would be unparalleled and make us forget about other stats like starts/win ratio. If Mercedes produces a rocket again, I a sure he’ll have the better of George who doesn’t live up to expectations so far.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
31st August 2023, 13:39
A shame hes stuck on a team that is in denial so often about the direction of their car. But the alternatives, are probably none at the moment, with Ferrari huddled around Charles and RBR not interested at all.
User587
31st August 2023, 14:06
Maybe last year Ferrari looked like the best bet to challenge RB, but this year they seem to have Ferrari-ed themselves back down the grid. Mercedes remains a solid bet for him I’d say.
Sumedh
31st August 2023, 14:18
2025. So probably not part of the new regulations then.
Craig
31st August 2023, 14:57
Leaves himself options as I can imagine there’ll be a lot of drivers moving about ahead of 2026.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
31st August 2023, 18:05
At this point though he’ll have been at mercedes for 13 years, doubt he’s changing team until he retires.
Edvaldo
31st August 2023, 14:19
Hamilton and Alonso are probably a bit fearful of making the decision to go home for good.
But different from other drivers, they’re still very good, so it doesn’t bother me that they’re “taking the seat of some new prospect”.
Neil (@neilosjames)
31st August 2023, 17:17
Agree with this.
As much as I like to see young drivers coming into the sport, I much prefer to watch the older greats for as long as they can stay somewhere near the top of their game.
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
31st August 2023, 14:21
No surprise at all. He’s still pretty competitive relative to others so why wouldn’t he stay at Merc. There is no better drive on offer.
For the sport as a whole I cannot really see anyone that exciting to replace him. There seems to be a bit of a drought in great young drivers. I mean someone the quality of Lewis, Max or Fernando. Lando is pretty good and it’s a bit early to tell about Piastri but are they as a good as a young Lewis? I am not convinced. Leclerc also seems to fall short.
Nulian
31st August 2023, 15:05
This 2 year extension was not a suprise at all because toto whispered in the ear of the child interface in silverstone that hamilton will sign a 2 year extension.
Jere (@jerejj)
31st August 2023, 15:23
Who?
János
31st August 2023, 15:18
Would have loved to see him in red alongside Charles but that wasn’t going to happen anyway :D
MichaelN
31st August 2023, 15:53
Bit boring, but it’s up to younger guys to show they’re better.
Unfortunately, both for themselves and the series, they haven’t.
It’s almost a pattern. There was a ton of talent in the mid 80s, less so in the mid 90s, again a a big influx in the mid to late 00s, and not a whole lot in the mid 10s. Hopefully the likes of Piastri can lead an exciting new generation into the latter half of the 20s.
Zann (@zann)
31st August 2023, 15:58
Best pairing on the grid I think. Mercedes have James Allison back, just have to replace James Vowles properly now.
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
31st August 2023, 22:56
Poor Leclerc !
MichaelN
1st September 2023, 9:38
He has had five years at Ferrari to show he’d be an improvement over Hamilton. Apparently Mercedes, Wolff and co. are not convinced, and given Hamilton’s form, I doubt many would disagree.
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
1st September 2023, 12:27
MichaelN,
Totally agree. Though it’s absolutely impossible to perform in a team like Ferrari with the current setup. The team will always find a way to destroy Leclerc ‘s races even though he has his own share of responsibility. A Hamilton-Leclerc swap would have been fantastic for Ferrari.
Hamilton will come to Ferrari on his own terms and will certainly bring some of the big wigs at Mercedes with him to ensure the team is professional enough. Leclerc in a professional environment like Mercedes will be only focusing on his driving which will be refreshing even for F1.
Hamilton extending till 2025 will force Leclerc to extend his contract at Ferrari and nothing will change as a result. I have doubts about Vasseur’s ability to bring significant change due to cautiousness and higher-up directives from Vigna and Elkann. He is just a good manager, nothing special.
melanos
31st August 2023, 23:17
Well done. I agree with Max: with a few more years of practice, Sir might actually learn how to drive a car.
IPBA
31st August 2023, 23:25
Poisonous comments from the usual toxic fans, why am I not surprised. And if Max did indeed say this as you claim then he needs to take a good hard look at himself before criticising others.
melanos
31st August 2023, 23:38
Not a literal quote but Max did indeed say something to that effect. And Max needs to keep winning, not having good or bad or soft or hard looks anywhere. Btw you might do better with a little sense of humor.