HAMILTON EXTENDS TO 2023

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has signed a new two-year contract with Mercedes which will keep him in Formula 1 until the end of the 2023 season. The timing of the deal – announced at the beginning of -uly – is signi¿cant since it is the earliest Hamilton has committed since 201 when a three-year deal taking him to the end of 2018 was announced in the run-up to the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.

%y contrast Hamilton ended last season out-of-contract and only in February reached a one-year deal with Mercedes covering 2021. Negotiations for that had been held up by the practicalities of meeting face-to-face during the pandemic the ultra-compressed nature of the 2020 season and then both Hamilton and team boss Toto :olɣ contracting Covid. This time they began talking in May.

Early completion is an indicator of how seriously both team and driver are approaching the current closely fought season: neither party wanted or needed the distractions which naturally attend the process of contractual horsetrading. GP Racing understands that while Hamilton took a pay cut this season owing to the eɣect of the pandemic on Mercedes’ willingness to spend his new contract restores his salary to around £40m per year.

“$s we enter a new era of F1 from 2022 onwards ´ said

:olɣ “there can be no better driver to have in our team than Lewis. He is at the peak of his powers. :e’re relishing the battle we have on our hands this year – and that’s why we also wanted to agree this contract early so we have no distractions from the competition on track. I’ve always said that as long as Lewis still possesses the ¿re for racing he can continue as long as he wants.´

:hile Hamilton said at the beginning of the season that he expected to continue in F1 beyond this year there has been much speculation about whether he remains motivated enough to continue competing at the highest level especially with a new technical formula in the oɤng. His performances this season appear to have addressed those questions – and in any case Hamilton is at a point in his career where he is considering his legacy. He has spoken in recent years about wanting to make a lasting impact beyond his achievements in F1’s record books; last year he set up the Hamilton Commission to improve representation in motorsport and his continued presence enables him to drive such projects forward with due prominence.

“:e still have a lot to achieve both on and oɣ the track ´ said Hamilton.

:hile the established wisdom in motor racing has it that drivers’ on-track performances suɣer when they invest energy in oɣ-track interests Mercedes has given Hamilton free reign to engage in his passions such as music and fashion and increasingly social justice. The burgeoning collection of trophies they have achieved together suggests that no such loss of focus has eventuated.

$rguably in fact Hamilton’s freedoms have enabled him to reach ever higher levels of competitiveness on the racetrack and this together with the team’s energetic support for his diversity activism has strengthened the bond they have.

“I’m incredibly proud and grateful of how Mercedes has supported me in my drive to improve diversity and equality in our sport ´ said Hamilton. “They have held themselves accountable and made important strides in creating a more diverse team and inclusive environment.´

Hamilton’s decision to carry on is also good news for the commercial rights holder which acquired the rights to F1 through debt and has had to re-engineer its ¿nances signi¿cantly in order to weather the loss of income through race cancellations last season. Even Max 9erstappen who commands the highly visible ‘Orange army’ which attends most European grands prix is by an order of magnitude less powerful in terms of global recognition and box oɤce appeal.

“This is fantastic news for Formula 1 and I am delighted that Lewis will stay in F1 for at least another two years ´ said F1 CEO Stefano 'omenicali. “:hat he has achieved in this sport is incredible and I know he has more to come. He is a global superstar on and oɣ the race track and his positive impact on Formula 1 is huge.´

“AS WE ENTER A NEW ERA OF F1 FROM 2022 ONWARDS, THERE CAN BE NO BETTER DRIVER TO HAVE IN OUR TEAM THAN LEWIS. HE IS AT THE PEAK

OF HIS POWERS”

TOTO WOLFF