LONDON — Lewis Hamilton will drive for Ferrari next year, but rumours that the seven-time Formula 1 champion is exiting Mercedes before the end of the current season reportedly were refuted by Mercedes.
Rumours of Hamilton making an immediate split with his current team arose after his poor showing last week in Brazil, where he placed 11th in the sprint on Saturday and 10th in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday.
Following the latter event, Hamilton said on the radio to his team, “That was a disaster of a weekend, guys. The worst the car has ever been. Thank you for contributing to try and great job to all the guys at the pit-stop.
“If this is the last time I get to perform, it was a shame it wasn’t great but (I am) grateful for you.”
Hamilton subsequently told Sky Sports F1 that instead of driving in the last three events of the year, he “could happily go and take a holiday.”
However, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday that Mercedes confirmed that Hamilton would remain behind the wheel at Las Vegas on November 24; Lusail, Qatar on December 1; and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on December 8.
Hamilton, 39, sits seventh in this year’s F1 driver standings, while Mercedes is fourth in the constructor standings. He has two wins this year, at the British Grand Prix and the Belgian Grand Prix, the 104th and 105th victories of his career.
His series championships came in 2008, 2014, 2015 and then four in a row from 2017-20.
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