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Lewis Hamilton made the first comments on his Ferrari future ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, saying he is on a 'pretty long contract' and therefore did not need to open negotiations over an extension.
Hamilton, 40, has not made it to the podium in his first season at the Scuderia and is 64 points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc but is determined not to walk out early on his £60million-a-year deal as he searches for a record-busting eighth world title.
He is banking on next season's major regulation change suiting him and the team.
The track legend started third on the grid in Mexico a fortnight ago – his best qualifying performance in red – yet finished eighth after being penalised by the stewards for cutting a corner as he duelled with Max Verstappen.
He is signed up on what is believed to be a three-year deal, though release clauses are included in the small print. Ferrari have simply revealed his contract is 'multi-year' and will not comment further.
Asked about a new deal, Hamilton said: 'I have a pretty long contract. Normally when you do a contract it is the year out that you start to talk about it, so I am a bit far from that point.'
Lewis Hamilton has broken his silence on his Ferrari future after a tough first year with the team
Hamilton is well behind team-mate Charles Leclerc (left) in the standings but is determined to see out his contract
Hamilton was penalised 10 seconds in Mexico – a sanction that he did not think fair – echoing the views expressed privately by another driver who said he had been 'unlucky'.
Hamilton, who missed out on the title he craves so controversially in Abu Dhabi in 2021, said of the stewards: 'There is not any clarity or transparency and that is part of the big issue. There is secrecy as to how decisions are made.
'It is something that needs to be tackled. I don't know if they are aware of the weight of their decisions, and that they steer careers and can decide results of the championship, as we have seen in the past. Something needs to be done.'
