Confirming what has long been expected, Mercedes announced on Thursday that it has retained Lewis Hamilton through the 2020 Formula 1 season.
Rumors suggested that the agreement would be completed prior to the British Grand Prix, but just one week after the anticipated deadline, Hamilton is set to stick with the Silver Arrows for what could be the remainder of his career.
“This contract extension has basically been a formality since Toto 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,” Hamilton said. “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,” Lewis continued. “I’m very confident that Mercedes is the right place to be over the coming years.”
Mercedes Motorsport boss Toto Wolff was equally confident about the two parties’ decision to stick together.
“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,” Wolff commented. “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 1 driver that hasn’t been said already—he is one of the all-time greats and his track record speaks for itself.”
“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,” Wolff concluded.
In his time with the team starting in 2014, Hamilton has won the Drivers’ Championship three times and is in the hunt for the same honor yet again this season. Meanwhile, Mercedes has swept the board in terms of Constructors’ Titles during that same period, ushering in an era of hybrid dominance with Lewis at the forefront of those efforts.
The Brackley, England-based outfit now has its sights set on the German Grand Prix as it sits 20 points off of Ferrari’s lead for the Constructors’ with Hamilton eight points back on Sebastian Vettel for the Drivers’ Title.