Lewis Hamilton looks set to finally end all speculation surrounding his future in Formula 1 by extending his contract at Mercedes, taking him beyond a tenth year with the team.
The seven-time World Champion previously claimed he could carry on racing for at least another five years, sparking surprise amongst some fans.
With last season, as well as the current one, not of the competitive nature Toto Wolff and his team had hoped for leading on from 2021's controversial final race decider in Abu Dhabi, it appears Hamilton is eager to not quite call it a day. A key reason for this may be to secure a record eighth world title, allowing him to stand clear of the iconic Michael Schumacher, and possibly be considered the greatest of all time.
Although the length of the 38-year-old's supposed deal remains unknown, despite him previously stating he would like it to take him into another four years, it was not just Hamilton's current team who offered him a contract.
Competition for Hamilton's signature
Ferrari president John Elkann personally reached out to the F1 veteran to persuade him to take up a seat, however, he politely rejected the proposal, simply replying, 'No, thanks'. Even Frederic Vasseur, the Italian team's boss, approached Hamilton, according to reports.
Now that Hamilton looks set to be racing for Mercedes for the foreseeable future, he will just be hoping the team can provide him with a car that is able to compete with whatever Red Bull manages to fix up.
It would be no understatement to say that it would have been a shock to see Hamilton replace either Carlos Sainz or Charles Leclerc and to see him in the red 'Prancing Horse' car.
The news of Hamilton staying put is expected to be formally announced before the Dutch Grand Prix on 27 August when normality resumes following the end of the summer break.
Team Principal Wolff has been speaking for weeks about his intention to keep him and insisted he is 'doing everything I can' to ensure he does not leave the team upon the expiration of his contract later this year.
It would be a massive shame for the sport to see Hamilton and Wolff part ways after over a decade together but luckily, everyone should be able to breathe a sigh of relief once hearing this news.
Hamilton, the driver with the most wins in the sport (103), currently sits fourth in the World Drivers Championship behind Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen, who continues to break records and edge ever closer to his third World Championship title.
