19/07/2018
NEWS STORY
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport and Lewis Hamilton have officially announced the agreement of a two-year contract extension for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Since joining Mercedes in 2013, Hamilton has, to date, won three world championships and 44 Grands Prix with the team; by the end of 2020, he will have spent eight seasons as a works Mercedes driver, his longest period with a single team in the sport.
Furthermore, since making his F1 debut in 2007, every single Grand Prix Lewis has driven has been powered by Mercedes-Benz engines. His career total of 65 F1 wins places him second on the all-time list behind Michael Schumacher.
Through these achievements, Lewis has earned his place in history as the most successful driver in the 112-year Grand Prix racing tradition of Mercedes-Benz.
"This contract extension has basically been a formality since Toto and I sat down during the winter," admitted Hamilton, "so it's good to put pen to paper, announce it and then get on with business as usual.
"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. We are on the same wavelength both on and off track - and I am looking forward to winning more in the future and shining even more light on the three-pointed star.
"I'm very confident that Mercedes is the right place to be over the coming years. Although we have enjoyed so much success together since 2013, Mercedes is hungrier than ever - from Dr Zetsche and the board members at the top of Daimler, through Toto and the team management, to every single person I meet in the corridors of Brixworth and Brackley.
"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."
"We have been aligned with Lewis ever since we first sat down to discuss the details of this contract after last season," added Toto Wolff, "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 One 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 One and his story is linked forever with the silver and green of Mercedes-AMG Petronas. I am very confident that we have some incredible chapters of our story together still to come."
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