Lewis Hamilton hints Ferrari deal runs “pretty long” — and he’s not in a rush to talk extensions
Lewis Hamilton isn’t planning any contract brinkmanship in the Ferrari hospitality any time soon. The seven-time World Champion, who moved to Maranello on a multi-year deal for 2025, suggested in Brazil that his agreement runs well into F1’s next rules cycle — and that extension chatter is premature.
“I mean, I have a pretty long contract,” Hamilton said at Interlagos. “Normally, when you do a contract, it’s the year before [it expires] that you start to talk about it. So I’m a little bit far from that right now.”
Ferrari never published an end date when Hamilton signed, but the implication is clear: this partnership isn’t a one-season cameo, nor a stop-gap before the 2026 reset. Hamilton, 40, has made no secret of the appeal — a boyhood dream realised in red — and the timing is strategic. The sport’s next engine and aero regulations arrive in ’26, and Hamilton’s experience through multiple eras is currency Ferrari values.
On track, the results column hasn’t yet shown a classic Hamilton surge in scarlet on a Grand Prix Sunday, though there’s already silverware in the cabinet from his Sprint win in China. The race-day breakthrough remains the obvious next step, and there are worse places to go hunting for it than Interlagos.
This circuit is stitched into Hamilton’s story. The near-miss of 2007. The title sealed with “is that Glock?!” in 2008. Three wins here, a lifetime of drama, and now a fresh chapter: first time rolling out at São Paulo in a Ferrari. He’ll run a yellow-liveried helmet that tips the cap to Ayrton Senna — and to the Brazilian flag — a nod to the hero whose Ferrari dream never happened.
“I’ve had lots of ups and downs here,” Hamilton reflected. “I’ve had a loss of a championship, I’ve won a championship here. I’ve pretty much experienced almost everything you can at this circuit. I’m really hoping this weekend can be a good one. It’s my first time in red here. I’m very, very proud to wear these colours, and I’m excited to leave the garage in red… I know Ayrton dreamed of racing for Ferrari, so I guess I get to live a bit of that dream for him.”
The subtext is that Hamilton and Ferrari are playing the long game. This season is about foundations, familiarity and finding rhythm; 2026 is the big strategic swing. A “pretty long” contract gives both sides runway to build toward that, without the annual soap opera of “will he, won’t he” negotiations.
Short term? The mission is simpler: put a Ferrari on the Interlagos rostrum and keep the momentum heading into the final run-in. Long term? Hamilton’s words suggest this alliance is set to span the regulation pivot — exactly when you’d want a seven-time champion in your corner.
