Hamilton to extend contract: 'You are stuck with me'

Hamilton is in his 16th season in Formula 1 and with seven world titles to his name, the Briton is on a par with Michael Schumacher. In the hunt for one more world title, Hamilton therefore has no intention of quitting just yet. Despite Mercedes' lesser performance in 2022, Hamilton would like to continue for a few more years.

New contract at Mercedes

Hamilton's current contract expires at the end of 2023 and Hamilton, who will be 38, is no longer the youngest. Nevertheless, the Mercedes driver is clear about his future. ''We are going to do another deal. We're going to sit down and we're going to discuss it in these next couple of months, I would say,'' Hamilton said.

However, it will not be a long-term contract as Hamilton says he wants to evaluate it annually. That way, he looks at how he is doing each season and analyses his season. From there, he then plans for the next three or five years. Looking much further ahead, Hamilton still finds it difficult.

Hamilton is still staying in F1

Although Hamilton could also fill his time with all his affairs outside F1 just fine, for now he likes nothing better than racing. ''I want to keep racing. I love what I do. I've been doing it for 30 years, and I don't feel that I should have to stop. I think I'm currently still earning my keep, I would say. I want to do better, still. So, yeah, you're gonna have to stick with me. You are stuck with me for quite a bit longer.''

For Daniel Ricciardo, it is also bad news. Indeed, he is said to be working on a reserve role with Mercedes' team to have a chance of securing a permanent seat with the top team in 2024. However, if Hamilton has no intention of retiring, he would already have to compete with Mercedes junior George Russell. The chances of Ricciardo being favoured then seem extremely slim.