Lewis Hamilton Ferrari lifeline emerges as surprise contract extension revealed

F1 legend Lewis Hamilton has endured a tricky start to life at Ferrari.

At the beginning of the 2025 campaign, the seven-time champion officially made the switch from his former team Mercedes to the Italian F1 outfit, with hopes of bringing the Scuderia back to championship contention at the forefront of his mind.

In 2024, Ferrari finished second in the constructors' standings after a fight down to the wire with McLaren, but since swapping Carlos Sainz out for Hamilton, they have had no chance at contending with the papaya F1 team, who are this year's championship frontrunners by a mile.

The Maranello-based squad have failed to bring home any type of title in the pinnacle of motorsport since 2008, with their last drivers' championship being brought home by Kimi Raikkonen the previous season.

Hamilton had hoped to be the one to return the Italian team to their former glory, but is already running out of time to do so with his contract widely believed to only last two seasons.

Though the 40-year-old may have prompted fears of an early retirement at the Hungarian Grand Prix last time out, he now appears to have been handed a lifeline in his hunt for championship success in red, after a surprise contract clause has been revealed by Italian media.

La Gazzetta dello Sport have stated Hamilton's current 'multi-year' contract could see him extend to race in red for 2027, with a report claiming: "Lewis has a contract to race with the Maranello team next season (plus an option in his favour for 2027) and will stay at least until the current agreement expires.

Hamilton holds the cards to Ferrari success

If the rumoured contract clause did allow Hamilton to extend his stay with the Scuderia, the British icon would still be racing in red just one month before his 43rd birthday in 2028.

This would provide a challenge in itself given that Hamilton's age has already become a frequent topic of discussion following his struggles on track, but two-time champion Fernando Alonso is still competing this season, and he has just turned 44.

If we remove all extenuating circumstances over Hamilton's struggle to hit the ground running and purely focus on the car, the seven-time champion would surely agree that his difficulty to get to grips with the SF-25 has come as a result of him having no input in its creation.

Even when the former Mercedes star was at his lowest in Budapest, he admitted the car was not the problem given that team-mate Charles Leclerc managed to put it on pole. However, the Monegasque is used to Ferrari machinery and 2025 marks his seventh season with the team.

With Hamilton having already shifted his focus to ensuring the 2026 car contains more of his 'DNA', Leclerc's advantage may well be stripped back next year, making the duo much more comparable.

Yet two seasons could still prove not to not be enough time for Hamilton to truly get to grips with the change and regardless of his performance in 2026, he may feel he hasn't truly been able to prove himself to Ferrari, with an extension into 2027 potentially serving as the final opportunity to do so.

READ MORE: F1 world champions: Full list from Farina to four-time King Verstappen

F1 HEADLINES: Hamilton criticised over recent claims as Horner given x-rated jibe

READ MORE: Inside Hamilton's staggering $450M net worth: Ferrari salary, real estate value & more

Related

Sebastian Vettel

Vettel F1 team principal verdict issued after Horner Red Bull sacking

• July 24, 2025 21:54

F1 News & Gossip

Verstappen and Wolff Sardinia meeting takes new twist after 'Mercedes reveal'

• July 14, 2025 09:43