Lewis Hamilton has finally spoken out after Ferrari locked in Charles Leclerc with a fresh contract — and fans are reading between the lines

Lewis Hamilton says he has no intention of signing a new Ferrari deal any time soon (Image: Getty)

Lewis Hamilton said he has no plans to extend his Ferrari stay just yet despite Charles Leclerc putting pen to paper on an eye-catching news deal. The team announced on Wednesday that the Monegasque had agreed a contract extension, stating that Leclerc would continue to race in red for many years to come.

Ferrari did not release details of the length of that deal, but it is believed his previous contract ran until 2029. Express Sport understands the new deal is even longer, extending his stay with the team into the 2030s – a clear commitment from Leclerc who has seen enough early promise from the team’s 2026 car to reassure him that he will one day be rewarded for his loyalty.

Hamilton, however, is not ready to extend his career with Ferrari, or indeed in Formula 1, just yet. The 41-year-old made it clear a couple of weeks ago in Montreal that he has a contract for 2027 and that he does not expect or plan for this to be his final year in the sport. “Everything is 100 percent clear to me… I am going to be here for quite some time,” he said in Canada.

Asked in Monaco on Thursday if he is thinking about negotiating an extension of his own, following news of team-mate Leclerc’s deal, Hamilton was clear in his response: “No. It’s still some time off, I’ve got a lot of time. It’s not a thought or conversation that I’m engaging in.”

Charles Leclerc this week committed his long-term future to Ferrari by penning a new deal (Image: Getty)

Over the years, Leclerc has consistently expressed a desire to win the world championship with Ferrari. His patience has been tested, however, by the string of cars provided for him by the team which were not good enough to compete at the sharp end of the grid.

His current car also does not seem to be at that level, yet Leclerc said he resisted any temptation to look elsewhere despite there being offers. Asked if he had other options, he replied: “There were, yes. I’m not going to say [who], they can say it if they want, but for me Ferrari was always the choice.”

He is convinced that Ferrari “have a plan” to get back on top and finally end their title drought, which extends back to the 2008 season, and cited team principal Frederic Vasseur’s leadership as a key reason for his continued faith in the Scuderia. Leclerc added: “I’m very on board with his vision. I really believe in Fred.

“It’s been a good start to the season. Obviously not as good as we want because we want to target the world championship but there’s been a lot of innovation on the car. We know where we are lacking and that’s more the engine side. We have a plan coming up and hopefully that will help us get back to where we want to be. I love this team and believe in this project. For the reasons that’s why we are continuing together.”

cre: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/2213517/lewis-hamilton-ferrari-contract-leclerc