Lewis Hamilton makes F1 promise as new Mercedes contract confirmed at Italian GP

31 August 2023 , 12:37

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Lewis Hamilton makes F1 promise as new Mercedes contract confirmed at Italian GP

Lewis Hamilton promised "I won't stop until we win" as he pledged his Formula 1 future to Mercedes.

The Brit has signed a new two-year contract extension to his previous deal which expired at the end of this season. That means the seven-time world champion will race for the team up until the end of the 2025 season and beyond his 40th birthday.

Hamilton is sticking with the team with which he has enjoyed remarkable success, including six of his seven world championship victories. High points have been few and far between over the last 18 months, though, with the Silver Arrows some way off the pace of their Red Bull rivals.

Max Verstappen and his team will win both championships again this season – back-to-back titles for Red Bull and three in a row for the Dutchman. With the next significant rule change not coming into force until 2026 and the chasm between Red Bull and the rest of the field so wide, it may be a long while before anyone can challenge their supremacy.

But that remains the goal for Hamilton. In his first words after signing his new deal, the Brit vowed to keep fighting until he and his team return to their perch.

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"We dream everyday of being the best and we have dedicated the past decade together to achieving that goal," he said. "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.

"We have never been hungrier to win. 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."

Hamilton will continue to work alongside younger Brit George Russell, whose place with the team until the end of 2025 has also been confirmed. Team principal Toto Wolff said tying both his drivers down for two more seasons at least was "a straightforward decision".

He said: "Our partnership with Lewis is one of the most successful in the sport's history... and George is a leading light of his generation. We have the strongest pairing on the grid and both drivers are playing a crucial role in the team to move us forward. The strength and stability they provide will be key building blocks for our future success."

Daniel Moxon