Lewis Hamilton to Ditch Ferrari and Pen Down Expensive Mercedes F1 Contract Extension – Reports

It is now clear that all the rumours linking Lewis Hamilton to Scuderia Ferrari have been shot down. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Hamilton is close to signing a two-year contract extension with Mercedes.

The 6-time world champion was out of contract at the end of the 2020 season. However it is now apparent that Mercedes want to retain his services for even longer. This news comes on the back of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen committing to their respective teams in the long term.

Gazzetta journalist Luigi Perna broke the rumour of Hamilton’s contract extension talks. He wrote that the British driver is facing an extension until the end of the 2022 F1 season. Perna even revealed that the deal is reportedly worth 45m Euros a year, including bonuses.

It is believed that Leclerc and Verstappen being taken off the market prompted Mercedes to prioritise Lewis Hamilton. In 2020, the British driver is on the hunt for a seventh World Championship title.

Is Lewis Hamilton still thinking of a Ferrari move?

Back in late 2019, Lewis Hamilton spoke about having to stay loyalty to Mercedes or jump ship to Scuderia Ferrari.

“I know I look good in red,” Hamilton told Channel 4 last October. “But it’s a very, very difficult scenario.

“I’ve been with Mercedes since I was 13. Change is always cool but loyalty is everything, that is why I have this tattoo [on his left arm].

He confessed that he may not be in Formula One for very long and is contemplating his future in the sport. Last year, he even admitted that he was entertaining the thought of moving to Scuderia Ferrari. Adding more fuel to the fire was Mercedes, who admitted that they would not get in the way of a potential move to their rivals.