Mercedes has confirmed that Lewis Hamilton has agreed a new three-year deal.

After months of discussions, leading to claims he was considering a move to Ferrari, the world champion said the deal would be agreed "by Monaco".

This morning, the day before practice for the Monaco Grand Prix gets underway, Mercedes tweeted a picture of Hamilton alongside the words "confirmed - three more years, Mercedes is my home"

"Mercedes is my home and I couldn't be happier to be staying here for another three years," said Hamilton. "This is a company filled with real passionate racers, from the board room to the factory floor, and an incredible hunger to win. Even after the success of last year, that hunger is greater than ever - and it's the same for me, too.

"The Mercedes car I am driving right now is the best I have ever had in my career; it's just so much fun to be out there every weekend, on the limit and fighting to win at every track. Mercedes-Benz began supporting me in 1998 so I am very proud that this contract means I will mark 20 years with Mercedes in 2018."

"Continuity is one of the key factors for delivering success in Formula One," added Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, "and we now have that in place. Lewis enjoyed an historic World Championship season with Mercedes-Benz last year and it was a priority for this season to renew his contract for the next term. We have taken the right amount of time with the process and not rushed ourselves. The result is a strong agreement that will enhance Lewis' association with the Mercedes-Benz brand, and that recognises and respects the market value of Lewis and of Mercedes in Formula One.

"Lewis' sporting track record speaks for itself and he is a great personality for the company. Personally, I am looking forward to continuing to race with the strongest driver pairing in Formula One and to more historic achievements together."

Check out our Wednesday gallery, here.