It’s official. Lewis Hamilton drives on, three weeks after telling Ferrari he should be sacked as their £60million-a-year star.
It was as if he had never uttered those words during a desperate weekend in Budapest as he spoke on the top deck of the Ferrari motorhome ahead of Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix.
The summer break has brought him to his senses – as well as back to his default setting as a fighting spirit – and he now wants to reclaim the fun of racing.
Down at Mercedes, George Russell, his former team-mate, snorted at the suggestion Hamilton might stop. ‘He was talking nonsense,’ he said of the seven-time world champion’s threat to quit.
Hamilton underlined his optimism about turning a page, saying: ‘I feel determined to and motivated to, yes. We’re going to work hard, keep our heads down, try to change a few things in our approach and start to enjoy ourselves.
‘There was so much pressure in this first half of the season. It’s not been the most enjoyable.
Lewis Hamilton has confirmed he will drive on for Ferrari despite his sack admission
The seven-time world champion wants to reclaim the fun of racing during a difficult year
George Russell insisted the suggestion Hamilton might stop was ‘nonsense’
‘I am remembering that we love what we do. We’re all in this together and I’m trying to have some fun.’
Hamilton is without a podium in 14 grands prix for Ferrari and has only twice finished ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc. He is 42 points behind the Monegasque.
Given Hamilton is 40, the question is whether his powers have waned, or whether he can conjure the form of old given the right car and environment.
Russell backs him to do so, saying: ‘He’s the greatest driver of all time.
‘With 14 races down every driver bar two (the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri) is looking forward to 2026 and the opportunity to fight for the championship. That is what Lewis lives for, not just getting points.’
Russell’s own future is securely hitched to Mercedes, though he is still to sign his new contract.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is offering the Englishman an extension worth some £30million a year, though the power in the negotiations has tilted towards Russell since Max Verstappen declared his intention to stick at Red Bull next year. He can make demands that suit him.
‘The summer break was a good time for me to think about my whole situation – what I want for my future, not just on track but what happens off track,’ said Russell, 27.
‘There is a lot more to my job than just driving a car on a Sunday afternoon. Those conversations have been picked up this week, not through the break. That was more my decision. Toto and the team were willing to work through the summer to come to a resolution. But I just wanted to take time off. Those two weeks are precious for me.
‘We’re getting closer to being on the same page. We are talking a number of weeks before anything is signed. There is no timeline on it. If it is next week, one month or two months, it will be what it is.’
