Maranello might not hold the most important lever in Lewis Hamilton’s future — he might.
Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, via F1-Insider, has floated that Hamilton’s Ferrari deal includes a driver-side option to extend through 2027. If true, the seven-time champion could keep himself in red for a third season regardless of form, leaving Ferrari with little say in the matter.
Hamilton arrived at Ferrari for 2025 in the blockbuster switch of the modern era, his first move since leaving McLaren for Mercedes at the end of 2012. The contract, signed in early 2024, was billed only as “multi-year.” The paddock consensus has been two seasons, taking Hamilton through 2026 and toward his 42nd birthday. A unilateral 2027 option would be a very Hamilton clause: high leverage, high confidence, and a reminder that the biggest brands in F1 don’t just drive cars — they drive negotiations.
On track, the start to the partnership has been lean. Fourteen starts in, Hamilton is still hunting his first Grand Prix podium for Ferrari and trails Charles Leclerc by 42 points with 10 rounds to go. The highlight remains a China sprint win converted from pole. The low came in Budapest, where Leclerc stuck the SF-25 on pole and Hamilton managed only 12th on the grid. He branded himself “useless” after qualifying and even suggested Ferrari might consider replacing him. Twenty-four hours later, he doubled down and hinted at wider unease: “There’s a lot going on in the background that’s not great.” Earlier in the year, he’d admitted his “bosses are not happy” with results after Saudi Arabia.
And yet, nothing about Hamilton’s demeanour says short-term fling. He’s been deep in meetings at Maranello and has submitted “documents” proposing changes to the car and the team structure. He’s framed the mission starkly: challenge every area, build allies, and avoid the recent fate of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel — champions who never added a Ferrari title. “I refuse for that to be the case with me,” he said, adding it’s “crunch time” because he doesn’t “have as much time as this one here,” a nod to Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
If the 2027 trigger exists, it’s a powerful card at a delicate moment. For Ferrari, it’s a bet that Hamilton’s upside — on track and off — outweighs the current pain. For Hamilton, it keeps the exit door locked from the outside while he tries to bend the Scuderia to his will.
Whether he plays that card will likely depend less on legalese and more on whether Ferrari gives him a title shot before the end of 2026. For now, the most influential power unit in Maranello might be a line in a contract.
