Lewis Hamilton Says New Mercedes F1 Contract Is 'Almost There,' Denies Ferrari Rumors

Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton played down the likelihood of a rumored move to Ferrari and indicated an extension with Mercedes could be coming soon.

The seven-time champion told reporters his representatives are "almost there" on an agreement with his current team. He also denied having direct contact with Ferrari officials.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said as much as well.

Hamilton is signed with Mercedes through the current season, and his impending free agency in 2024 has led to plenty of speculation about what he might decide next.

For Mercedes, it didn't help that a running theme throughout the 2022 season was how bad his car was out on the track.

"It's a car we continue to struggle with and I definitely won't miss it at the end of the year," Hamilton said last August. "For me it's just about focussing on how we build and design next year's car."

The 38-year-old sits fourth in the driver standings, which is an improvement over his sixth-place finish a season ago. Still, you wouldn't blame him for wondering whether an entirely new setup might be required for him to capture his record-setting eighth championship.

The Daily Mail's Jonathan McEvoy reported May 21 that Ferrari was prepared to offer Hamilton £40 million and that "company president John Elkann is already in close contact."

Vasseur acknowledged Thursday the idea of landing the legendary driver is intriguing, but he added no formal approach has been made.

"We didn't have discussions," he said. "I think every single team on the grid would like to have Hamilton at one stage, it would be bulls--t to not say something like this."

Based on his and Vasseur's comments, perhaps Hamilton will wind up with Ferrari after all.