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Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team have officially agreed to extend the Brit’s time at the squad.
Hamilton has signed a two-year contract extension which will keep him with the Silver Arrows until at least the end of 2020.
The now 33-year-old joined the factory Mercedes team from his long-time home of McLaren in 2013.
After winning the world championship in 2008, Hamilton has added three more with Mercedes in the last four years (2014, 2015, 2017).
Of his 65 F1 race wins, second of all-time only to Michael Schumacher, 44 have come with the Brackley outfit.
“This contract extension has basically been a formality since Toto (Wolff, team principal) 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,” said Hamilton.
“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.
“The competitive passion that burns bright inside me is shared by every single member of this group – always chasing the next improvement and digging even deeper to make sure we come out on top.
“I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together in the next two-and-a-half seasons.”
While the signing was largely expected, Wolff says that it only became official in recent days.
“We have been aligned with Lewis ever since we first sat down to discuss the details of this contract after last season,” he confirmed.
“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.
“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.
“Mercedes has become Lewis’ home in Formula 1 and his story is linked forever with the silver and green of Mercedes-AMG Petronas.”
Valtteri Bottas is also expected to stay on at Mercedes although there has been no official word on the Finn’s future.
Hamilton currently trails Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel by eight points ahead of Round 11, the German Grand Prix, this weekend (July 20-22).
