A contract clause could see Lewis Hamilton extend his stay at Ferrari into the 2027 Formula 1 season regardless of results, according to reports.
The seven-time World Champion’s struggles at the Scuderia have not only been documented, not just by the media, but also by the timesheets.
Hamilton has failed to wrestle the tricky SF-25 under his control, languishing sixth in the Drivers’ Championship, 42 points adrift of team-mate Charles Leclerc.
The Brit has struggled to put a brave face on his Maranello misery, going so far as to suggest the team “change driver” after qualifying 12th for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
And after finishing the race in the same position, he intimated that there is “a lot going on in the background that’s not great,” hinting at further issues within the team.
This came with speculation that Hamilton issuing orders to the team via documents, a claim that he had to deny.
Many have speculated whether the 40-year-old’s time in F1 is up, with the sport’s former supremo Bernie Ecclestone suggesting potential replacements for him.
However, Italian sports publication La Gazzetta dello Sport has reported that Hamilton’s place in the team is secure.
Hamilton’s contract is in place until the end of next year, with an option to extend into 2027, and the team’s hierarchy are apparently happy with the situation.
The report claims that Chairman John Elkann has issued a dossier to the team, outlining the areas in which improvements need to be made to enable Hamilton to regain his form.
It adds that Ferrari will follow Hamilton “like a beacon in the storm,” but suggests the reason may be also be for commerical and financial reasons.
“There is no other choice,” the report continues, “since Elkann has decided to hire the most successful driver in history, the symbol of F1, investing huge sums in an operation that has very important commercial implications for the Prancing Horse.”
Can Hamilton rediscover his F1 form with Ferrari?
Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur, his ex-boss at Mercedes, Toto Wolff, as well as Leclerc, have all publicly backed Hamilton to turn his fortunes around.
The end of Hamilton’s headier days in F1 coincided with the beginning of the ground effect era in 2022, having only picked up two Grand Prix wins in that time.
This leads to the belief that Hamilton may rediscover his brilliance behind the wheel again, given new regulations next year will likely see a decrease in ground effect.
If these reports are to be believed, then it seems that Hamilton will more than likely be given ample time to complete his mission of making it back to the top step of the podium.
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