Lewis Hamilton puts an end to speculation about an early departure from Ferrari—and reveals details about the length of his contract for the first time.
Lewis Hamilton has clearly rejected the latest rumors about an early exit from his Ferrari contract. The seven-time world champion emphasizes that he has “a pretty long contract” – and that it is far too early to talk about an extension.
“I have a pretty long contract,” Hamilton said on Thursday ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix. “Normally, when you sign a contract, you only start talking about an extension the year before. I’m still quite a long way from that at the moment.”
Speculation arose after Haas rookie Oliver Bearman surprised everyone by finishing fourth in Mexico – the best result of his young Formula 1 career. Several Italian media outlets subsequently reported that Ferrari could be considering the Briton as a possible successor to Hamilton in the medium term.
Ferrari contract: officially only “multi-year”
When announcing the change at the beginning of 2024, Ferrari never specifically disclosed how long Hamilton’s contract would actually run. The team’s announcement merely referred to a “multi-year contract” – which in Formula 1 usually means two or three years.
It therefore seems likely that Hamilton will drive for the Scuderia until at least the end of 2026. His statement in São Paulo now suggests that talks about a possible extension would begin in 2026 at the earliest – i.e. after his second season in red.
The 39-year-old made a surprise move from Mercedes to Ferrari for the 2025 season, perhaps starting the last major chapter of his career. However, the start has been bumpy: while teammate Charles Leclerc has been on the podium several times, Hamilton has had to settle for fourth place so far.
Adaptation to Ferrari “still ongoing”
Hamilton admits that the switch to the Ferrari car requires more adaptation than he had initially expected. “I think we’ve definitely made progress in recent months,” he says. “Charles got a great result in the last race. I think it will vary from track to track, depending on where we’re racing.”
So far this season, Hamilton has scored one victory in the sprint race in China, but he is yet to finish on the podium in the Grand Prix. His best result in a main race is fourth place, achieved in Imola, Austria, Silverstone, and Austin.
Ahead of the weekend at Interlagos, however, the Briton remains optimistic: “This is the first time I’ve driven here for Ferrari. Their car looked pretty good here last year. I don’t know how it will feel this time, but of course I’m hoping for a good result.”
Hamilton: We can push the car to the limit
Hamilton also points to the changed track conditions in Brazil: “They’ve repaved part of the track, so the layout is a bit different,” he explains. “I hope we can push the car as close to the limit as possible and get a good result.”
Looking ahead to the weather in São Paulo, which is known for its changeable conditions, he adds: “Hopefully we can have a good weekend with nice Brazilian weather.” Background: The Ferrari has not exactly been a good rain car in recent years, and this season is no exception.
The Brazilian Grand Prix is the penultimate sprint weekend of the season. That means only one practice session on Friday, followed directly by sprint qualifying. Hamilton remains calm: “We know it can always be unpredictable here, but that’s part of this place.”
