F1 News: Lewis Hamilton expects to sign "multi-year contract" with Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton wants to continue racing in Formula 1 for several years, explaining that his next contract with Mercedes will likely be a multi-year deal.
Hamilton's existing agreement with Mercedes expires at the end of 2023, but the 7-time Champion intends to enter discussions with Mercedes this winter.
Despite now being F1's second-oldest driver, he is still demonstrating (much like the oldest driver, Fernando Alonso) that age is no obstacle for elite performers.
Hamilton's pace is still electric, coming close to victory on multiple occasions this year (Hungary, Britain, Zandvoort) and maximising the potential of his Mercedes.
The Mercedes W13 has failed to deliver the performance necessary to contest for the Championship, but this has not prevented Hamilton from showcasing his ability.
When discussing his F1 future in Mexico, Hamilton made clear he has no thoughts of ending his career:
"I think it will be a multi-year contract. There's like this whole thing of retiring that's always lingering around.
"Honestly, I don 't like the idea of it [retiring] and I don't feel like I'm there."
Teammate George Russell gave his thoughts on Hamilton's future, fully expecting their partnership to continue for several seasons:
"It's really exciting to have that potential of Lewis staying on for a number of years to come.
"I think he has proven that he's definitely not lifted his foot off the throttle pedal, and he's probably in the last few races performing batter than ever.
"And that's really exciting for me to have the opportunity to be his teammate, to go directly head-to-head with him and grow on this journey that we're on together."
Mercedes will be more than satisfied with the performances of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in their first year as a duo.
With that said, the Silver Arrows have plenty of work to do over the winter to reclaim the F1 Championship in 2023.