Photo: forumula1.com
In a move reminiscent of one NBA legend taking his talents to South Beach, Formula One's biggest contract expiration in ages just reached its dramatic conclusion. Unlike LeBron James, Lewis Hamilton won't be going anywhere anytime soon. In a deal announced the morning of August 30th, Mercedes, Hamilton, and his co-driver George Russel all agreed to a contract extension to keep the gang together until the 2025 season.
Lewis Hamilton is 38 years old now. For those who fancied him eternally youthful thanks to his considerable driving talents, this might be a shock to you. Heck, it feels like just yesterday, the man was jumping ship from McLaren to Mercedes in a move that even made Jeremy Clarkson question his sanity. People tend to forget that Mercedes had just one Formula One race win in five years before F1's billion-dollar man came along. Ten years and seven world titles later, and F1's biggest star is making team boss Toto Wolff look like a genius indeed.
In a season where Hamilton is looking to break Michael Schumacher's record for an eighth world title, the move sets in stone without a doubt the strength of the relationship between Hamilton and his decade-long bosses. "We dream every day of being the best, and we have dedicated the past decade together to achieving that goal. 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 honor to earn our way into the history books with this incredible team," The seven-time champ said of his agreement with Mercedes.
This ambitious yet warm sentiment was felt by Toto Wolff as well. "We have made some significant steps over the last 18 months and are only getting stronger as a team. I’m excited to help continue to build on that momentum as we progress into 2024 and 2025 as we continue to focus on returning to the very front of the pack," Wolff said of the newly announced deal. Continuing with our current driver line-up was a straightforward decision. "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."
With the 2023 F1 season roughly halfway complete, the agreement is no mere footnote in the annuls of a rigorous and unforgiving schedule. For Hamilton and his team, it's the start of a three-year-long push above and beyond their current efforts to secure his eighth Formula One world title by the end of the freshly signed deal. With two and a half years left to go, the pressure is on.
In a season where Hamilton is looking to break Michael Schumacher's record for an eighth world title, the move sets in stone without a doubt the strength of the relationship between Hamilton and his decade-long bosses. "We dream every day of being the best, and we have dedicated the past decade together to achieving that goal. 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 honor to earn our way into the history books with this incredible team," The seven-time champ said of his agreement with Mercedes.
This ambitious yet warm sentiment was felt by Toto Wolff as well. "We have made some significant steps over the last 18 months and are only getting stronger as a team. I’m excited to help continue to build on that momentum as we progress into 2024 and 2025 as we continue to focus on returning to the very front of the pack," Wolff said of the newly announced deal. Continuing with our current driver line-up was a straightforward decision. "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."
With the 2023 F1 season roughly halfway complete, the agreement is no mere footnote in the annuls of a rigorous and unforgiving schedule. For Hamilton and his team, it's the start of a three-year-long push above and beyond their current efforts to secure his eighth Formula One world title by the end of the freshly signed deal. With two and a half years left to go, the pressure is on.
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