New Lewis Hamilton contract update as Ferrari row rages

The marriage between Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari looks more likely to end in divorce than ‘happily ever after’ right now. But it could be a long time yet before that separation arrives.

When the seven-time world champion signed for the Scuderia in early 2024 the adoring tifosi expected the 40-year-old British superstar to end the long title drought at Maranello.

But instead year 1 of the ‘Hamilton Project’ has been a disaster - no Grand Prix wins, no podiums and just 148 points in the Drivers' Championship standings. A massive 242 behind the current leader Lando Norris.

Hamilton described his Italian experience so far as ‘a nightmare’ after failing to finish the Brazilian Grand Prix, and on Monday the relationship between team and driver appeared to really sour.

Ferrari chairman John Elkann unleashed an astonishing blast aimed at his drivers (Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc), saying they need to ‘focus more and talk less’.

Already attention is turning to 2026, and what Ferrari will look like as the new regulations kick in for the sport. And of course Hamilton’s future is very much a hot topic.

When the former Mercedes star announced his move to Maranello, it was termed ‘a multi-year deal’. But now we have new information that appears to suggest how many years.

How long is Hamilton's Ferrari contract?

BBC correspondent Andrew Benson touched on the topic during a Q and A with readers following Sunday’s action in Interlagos.

He wrote: “As for his future, Ferrari have not said how long his contract is. But I have been hearing for a while that Hamilton is on a firm three-year deal at Ferrari - ie, to the end of 2027 - and an exchange he had with the media in Brazil did seem to confirm this.

“He was asked when he expected to start negotiations on a new contract, and he replied: "I have a pretty long contract. Normally, when you do a contract, it's usually the year before (it ends) you start to talk about it. I'm a little bit far from that right now."

“He was asked whether that meant he would be doing so next year, and he replied: "No."

So if Hamilton’s statement is what it appears to be, and Benson's sources are right, this troubled union of iconic brands has at least two more years to run. Leclerc meanwhile is reportedly under contract through 2029.

Elkann’s comments on Monday put his drivers very much on the hotseat, and it also had the team’s fanbase raging about the apparent disrespect he showed.

Things are very messy in Maranello right now, and this is a story which could run and run. Pass the popcorn pasta.

READ MORE: Hamilton collides with rival as F1 star crashes OUT of Brazilian Grand Prix

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