Lewis Hamilton reacts to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari F1 contract renewal

Lewis Hamilton has offered his reaction to the news that his Formula 1 team-mate Charles Leclerc has renewed his contract with Ferrari.

Ferrari announced a new contract extension for Leclerc on Wednesday ahead of the 28-year-old’s home F1 race, the Monaco Grand Prix.

It is thought the deal will keep Leclerc at Ferrari into 2030 and beyond, meaning he is highly likely to remain Hamilton’s team-mate for the rest of the seven-time world champion’s F1 career.

Hamilton was convincingly beaten by Leclerc during a disappointing debut season with Ferrari in 2025, but he has started the new campaign much stronger and already has two podium finishes.

And the 41-year-old Briton is excited to continue working with Leclerc.

“I think we work well together and we collaborate well, together with the team,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1 ahead of the weekend in Monaco.

“We are pushing the team collectively, with Fred and all the amazing players in the background, all the engineers working so hard on the car. I think we work really well.”

There is some uncertainty surrounding the length of Hamilton’s own deal with Ferrari, which has never been made official.

It is understood that Hamilton signed a minimum two-year contract and he insisted at the recent Canadian Grand Prix that he is covered for 2027.

"Everything is 100% clear to me. I am still focused, still motivated, still love what I do with all my heart. I am going to be here for quite some time,” Hamilton said in Canada.

"There are a lot of people who are trying to retire me and that is not even in my thoughts. I'm already thinking about what will be next and planning for the next five years. I still plan to be here for quite some time."

Asked if conversations about his next contract are something he is thinking about, Hamilton replied: “No, it’s still some time off. I’ve got a lot of time. It’s not a thought, it’s not a conversation that I’m engaging in.”

Is Monaco Hamilton’s best chance of first Ferrari win?

Ferrari’s rivals have tipped the Italian team as the favourites in Monaco because its SF-26 is so strong in low-speed corners, which the Monte Carlo Street Circuit largely consists of.

But Hamilton has downplayed the hype surrounding Ferrari heading into the weekend.

"I would say this track would be better for us than some of the others," he said.  "Because the straight lines we had, for example, in Montreal, we lose quite a lot of time, and obviously here we would lose a lot less.

"I don't think power is necessarily going to be so much of an issue. Our car is good at low speeds, so I think we will be competitive.

“I don't necessarily think we will be the quickest, especially with Mercedes' upgrade at the last race, but I think we will be competitive."