Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes Agree to New Contract Until 2025 amid F1's 2023 Season

Formula One announced Thursday that superstar driver Lewis Hamilton agreed to a new contract that will keep him with Mercedes until 2025.

Hamilton's contract had been set to expire at the end of the 2023 season, but both he and teammate George Russell signed extensions of the same length Thursday, per ESPN's Laurence Edmondson.

Edmondson added that while there had been some links between Hamilton and Ferrari, the seven-time F1 points champion remained steadfast in his desire to remain with Mercedes.

The 38-year-old Hamilton began his F1 career with McLaren in 2007 before joining Mercedes in 2013 and remaining with the team ever since.

Hamilton won his first championship with McLaren in 2008, but each of his past six titles were under the Mercedes banner, winning it all in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

With 103 career race wins, Hamilton is the winningest F1 driver of all time. The next closest is the legendary Michael Schumacher at 91, followed by Sebastian Vettel at 53.

From 2014 through 2021, Hamilton finished either first or second in the standings every year, including narrowly losing out on the points title to Max Verstappen in 2021.

Verstappen repeated as champion in 2022, and Hamilton dropped to sixth in the standings, marking the worst finish of his F1 career.

Hamilton didn't win a single race in 2022, and he has yet to win through 13 races this season, although he has improved to the tune of being fourth in the standings.

With a remarkable 11 wins in 13 races, Verstappen is trending toward a three-peat, plus his teammate Sergio Pérez is second in the standings, underscoring Red Bull's current dominance of the sport.

Mercedes was once in that position, and while it hasn't been the case lately, Hamilton re-signing suggests he believes it is possible for Mercedes to turn things around and compete with Red Bull over the next couple of seasons.