Record world champion Lewis Hamilton has spoken for the first time about his contract extension at Mercedes.
The 7-time world Formula 1 champion put to rest any uncertainty about his future. Hamilton spoke for the first time about his single-season contract extension at Mercedes and his goals for the 2021 F1 season.
Lewis Hamilton signed a one-year contract extension that will see him stay with his current Mercedes-AMG Petronas team for at least another season as the driver tries to go for a record eighth world title.
Despite ending months of speculation concerning his future after signing, the one-year deal came as a surprise to many as all his previous contracts in F1 have always been multi-year deals.
Speaking at the launch of Mercedes' new W12 car for the 2021 season, Hamilton explained why he did so in an interview on Sky Sports.
"Firstly, I'm kind of in a fortunate position where I've achieved most of the stuff I wanted to achieve up until this point, so there's no real need necessarily to plan too far ahead in the future. We're living through an unusual period of time in life and I just wanted one year. Then we can talk about if we do more, and keep adding it [by] one if we have to," said the reigning champion.
Hamilton, who is on the verge of history-making should he win this season, insists that winning another title is not where his only focus lies as he aims to push for more action in promoting equality and diversity in the sport.
“In the past, it was about just winning the championship. Last year, there was a lot of discussion about equality and inclusion, and I think there was a lot of talk. This year, it's all about pushing for diversity and really making sure there's action taken. So that's kind of at the core of the drive for me,” he explained.
“But of course we exist to win, that's what all these guys and girls [at the factory] are working towards. And so that's my goal, to deliver that for them," he concluded.
The 2021 F1 season kicks off on March 26 in Bahrain.