Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton's future with Mercedes-AMG has long been speculated but the driver has decided to continue with the championship-winning team. The British driver has signed a two-year contract with the Mercedes keeping him with the team until the end of 2020. There was little clarity on Hamilton's plans for next year with his current contract with Mercedes ending at the end of this season. The deal is said to be finalised at an estimated 40 million Pounds a year. With the contract extension, Hamilton will complete a total of eight years with Mercedes, and 14 years in F1.
Speaking on his contract extension, Lewis Hamilton said, "This contract extension has basically been a formality since Toto [Wolff] and I sat down during the winter, so it's good to put pen to paper, announce it and then get on with business as usual. I have been part of the Mercedes racing family for 20 years and I have never been happier inside a team than I am right now. We are on the same wavelength both on and off track - and I am looking forward to winning more in the future and shining even more light on the three-pointed star."
Adding further, Hamilton said, "I'm very confident that Mercedes is the right place to be over the coming years. Although we have enjoyed so much success together since 2013, Mercedes is hungrier than ever - from Dr Zetsche and the board members at the top of Daimler, through Toto and the team management, to every single person I meet in the corridors of Brixworth and Brackley. The competitive passion that burns bright inside me is shared by every single member of this group - always chasing the next improvement and digging even deeper to make sure we come out on top. I can't wait to see what we can achieve together in the next two-and-a-half seasons."
The association that started in 2013 has only been beneficial for both Mercedes and Hamilton. So far, the collaboration has yielded four drivers' titles and four four constructors' championships, with Hamilton securing 44 wins in five-and-a-half seasons. Despite the fact that Lewis is the third oldest driver on the grid at present, after Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso, he is also the hottest right now, well into the race for the championship title this season. The continuation with Mercedes was only an expected move and is likely to bring forth more successful for either partners.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed that the deal was signed earlier this week. He said, "We have been aligned with Lewis ever since we first sat down to discuss the details of this contract after last season, but there has understandably been a lot of interest and speculation around the whole process, so it's good to put all of that to rest and get this thing announced. We signed the final documents this week and didn't want to keep people waiting any longer! There is not much about Lewis as a Formula One driver that hasn't been said already - he is one of the all-time greats and his track record speaks for itself.
Speaking further about Hamilton, Wolff added, "But what I enjoy most about working with him is getting to know the man inside the racing helmet: his relentless drive for self-improvement, his emotional intelligence as a team member and his loyalty to those around him. Mercedes has become Lewis' home in Formula One and his story is linked forever with the silver and green of Mercedes-AMG Petronas. I am very confident that we have some incredible chapters of our story together still to come."
With the contract extension confirmed, both Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel will be available on the market at the end of 2020. Red Bull's Max Verstappen will also be available at the time. While Hamilton has been confirmed with Mercedes, the team is yet to renew Valtteri Bottas' contract for next season. It is likely that Mercedes will retain its current driver line-up for 2019 as well, which will mark Bottas' third year with Mercedes.
