F1 Update: Lewis Hamilton Lingers With Mercedes As Max Verstappen Rivalry Intensifies

Formula One superstar Lewis Hamilton has decided to stick with Mercedes at the peak of a difficult season.

Hamilton had just signed a new two-year contract with Mercedes-AMG Petronas, the team announced Saturday.

The said deal will extend Hamilton’s stay with the Formula One champions until the end of the 2023 season. Simply put, Mercedes and Hamilton will be teaming up anew for the seven-time world champion’s pursuit of a record-breaking eighth championship.

Reflecting on his journey with the Silver Arrows, Hamilton admitted in a heartfelt statement that he is “proud and grateful” for the support Mercedes has given him all these years. However, the Brit also stressed that he and the team still have a long way to go.

“It is hard to believe it’s been nearly nine years working with this incredible team and I’m excited we’re going to continue our partnership for two more years,” Hamilton said. “We’ve accomplished so much together but we still have a lot to achieve, both on and off the track. I’m incredibly proud and grateful of how Mercedes has supported me in my drive to improve diversity and equality in our sport.”

“They have held themselves accountable and made important strides in creating a more diverse team and inclusive environment,” he added. “Thank you to all the dedicated and talented individuals at Mercedes whose hard work makes it all possible and the board for their continued trust in me. We’re entering a new era of car which will be challenging and exciting and I can’t wait to see what else we can achieve together.”

Hamilton will be behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and McLaren’s Lando Norris, while his ultimate rival Max Verstappen is sitting steadily at no. 1 in the starting grid at the Austrian Grand Prix.

It can be recalled that Verstappen beat Hamilton at the Styrian Grand Prix and is now leading the drivers’ championship race.

When asked about Mercedes’ chances of bouncing back this weekend, the 36-year-old admitted that Red Bull and Verstappen are coming in as the better team.

“Those guys have got two cars to get through in front, and they’ve got three-tenths on us – I think they’ve improved their car again for this weekend – so I would say that’s an easy cruise [to a] win for Max [Verstappen],” the Englishman told Formula One’s official website.

“I think for us it’s to try and see if we can get ahead of [Sergio] Perez and try to limit the damage this weekend,” he explained. “I don’t know if they’ve [Red Bull] improved the car again this weekend, I have no idea, but we haven’t, and we’ve just got to keep working.”