- Mercedes announced on Thursday that Lewis Hamilton and George Russell had extended their contracts with the team to 2025.
- Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, will continue competing in Formula 1 with Mercedes beyond turning 40.
- George Russell will also stay with the team till the end of 2025, according to a separate Mercedes announcement.
Mercedes announced on Thursday that Lewis Hamilton and George Russell had extended their contracts with the team to 2025.
Ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, the Silver Arrows announced that the pair will continue to share the driving duties for the upcoming two seasons.
The current leader and defending champion Max Verstappen, who is vying for a record-breaking 10th straight GP victory at Monza, is 183 points ahead of Hamilton in the drivers’ standings.
Russell, a fellow Briton, is in third position with 99 points.
Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, will continue competing in Formula 1 with Mercedes beyond turning 40. Between 2014 and 2020, Mercedes was the home of six of Hamilton’s championships.
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After extending a deal that was supposed to finish at the conclusion of the current season, the 38-year-old is allegedly expecting to make about £50 million ($63.4 million) every season with Mercedes.
Mercedes’ statement puts an end to rumors over Hamilton’s future at a time when they are struggling to compete with powerful Red Bull, who has won every race this year thus far.
Given that all 323 of Hamilton’s grand prix starts to date have been powered by Mercedes engines, his extension means he will beat Michael Schumacher for the record of most seasons spent with a single constructor.
By the end of the 2023 season, Hamilton will have surpassed the record of 11 seasons held by Michael Schumacher when driving for Ferrari.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images
George Russell, Hamilton’s teammate, will also stay with the team till the end of 2025, according to a separate Mercedes announcement. Team owner Toto Wolff was overjoyed to acquire the seven-time World Champion’s signature.
Russell is eager to see and participate in Mercedes’ return to winning ways. “We have taken some important advances over the past 18 months, and our team is just becoming stronger”, he continued.
“As we move into 2024 and 2025 and keep focusing on getting back to the very front of the pack, I’m eager to assist maintain that momentum.”
Toto Wolff thinks it was an easy decision to stick with their present driver lineup. The Mercedes Team Principal stated: “Continuing with our current driver line-up was a straightforward decision.”
“We have the strongest partnership on the grid, and both of our drivers are essential to the team’s progress.”
Leclerc contract dilemma
Charles Leclerc.|PHOTO: F1|
Despite his desire to remain with Ferrari, Charles Leclerc admitted he is “not in a rush” to agree on a new deal.
The present contract for the 25-year-old Monaco native runs out at the end of 2024. Since 2019, Leclerc has been a part of Ferrari.
Leclerc is one position behind his Ferrari colleague Carlos Sainz in the driver rankings going into this Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.
Ferrari is currently ranked fourth among constructors.
Leclerc has five F1 victories to his credit, the most recent being at the July 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
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