Hamilton had already hinted final 12 months that he was contracted to Ferrari for 2027, saying he didn’t have to enter negotiations over his future in 2026.
However that is the primary time he has explicitly mentioned that he has a contract with Ferrari till the tip of subsequent season.
His feedback concerning the size of time he sees himself in F1 would preserve him into the game till previous his forty fifth birthday.
Drivers very not often keep racing in F1 for that lengthy – though Hamilton’s long-time rival Fernando Alonso turns 45 in July. The Spaniard’s contract with Aston Martin expires on the finish of this season and he’s presently weighing up whether or not to signal a brand new one.
Hamilton had a torrid time within the second half of final season, a number of occasions expressing doubts about whether he still had the speed he used to have.
This 12 months he has began in a extra aggressive place relative to team-mate Charles Leclerc, who’s third within the championship, eight factors forward of Hamilton in fifth after the primary 4 races of the season.
Leclerc is 4-2 forward throughout all six qualifying classes this season, together with dash occasions in China and Miami. The Monegasque has a mean tempo benefit of simply 0.081 seconds.
