Formula One: Lewis Hamilton reveals Mercedes contract extension & British Grand Prix Race Preview

Lewis Hamilton confirmed that a new deal with Mercedes is imminent ahead of the 2023 British Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton has been nothing short of sensational since he joined Mercedes from McLaren in 2013. He has, of course, gone on to become a legend of the sport, and he hinted on Friday that an announcement of a new contract for the Brit is imminent.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Hamilton said: “Before the end of the season, we’ll be already well into the contract. I still have 100 per cent faith in this team.”

“I’m hoping to be here a lot longer. I feel like I’ve got another five years in me at least, no? Let’s see.”

This is just a day after Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had hinted that an agreement on a new contract was most certainly in the works (via The Mirror): “I’m still very confident (of striking a deal). They want to do it super, to every detail, and sometimes you can have a situation where everything is carved out.

“This is not a money discussion at all. It is about the future; what is it that we want to do right and optimise? We’re not talking anything anymore about duration, money, all of that – it’s other topics.”

If Hamilton were to stay with Mercedes and in the sport for the next few years, this would be excellent news for fans of his team and Formula One. The British driver has won 7 World Championships, with 6 of them coming during his time with the team: 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020.

If it weren’t for Nico Rosberg in 2016, Hamilton would have won 7 Driver’s Championships in a row and eight overall.

His first World Championship came with McLaren in 2008, where he was able to fend off competition from Felipe Massa, beating the Brazilian by just one point in the end.

Onto the British Grand Prix race, which will grace the iconic Silverstone track again this weekend. This race will take place a week after the action-packed and controversy-filled Austrian Grand Prix saw several drivers penalised for track limits, but it was still no shock who won the race – Max Verstappen. This was the Dutchman’s 5th race win in a row, with the likes of Hamilton, Leclerc and teammate Perez looking to stop him from winning a 6th in succession.

Verstappen, the current World Champion, is currently leading the way in the Driver’s Championship once again, and he has so far amassed a total of 229 points, 81 ahead of teammate Sergio Perez who sits in second place as of the time of writing. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso, currently of Aston Martin, is third.

There is, of course, the potential that Verstappen could extend his advantage with a win at Silverstone, although Perez could narrow the gap on his teammate should the Mexican driver take home the win.

Just like the other British drivers in the race, Lewis Hamilton will be hoping to taste victory in his home race.

The form of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez has been fantastic for Red Bull this season, with the team sitting top of the constructor standings with 377. Mercedes is their nearest competitor in second place with 178 points in total.

It remains to be seen who will win the race come Saturday, but we can be sure that this will be a weekend full of enthralling racing.