Lewis Hamilton Ferrari driver says he has no intention of stepping away from Formula 1 anytime soon, with the Ferrari driver confirming his contract runs until at least the end of 2027 as speculation over his future continues to swirl around the paddock.

Ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, the seven-time world champion delivered a firm response to growing rumours suggesting his Ferrari chapter could be nearing an early end after a difficult first full season with the Scuderia.

“There’s a lot of people that are trying to retire me, and that’s not even all my thoughts. I’m already thinking of what will be next, and planning for, like, the next five years. But I still plan to be here for some time.” Hamilton said. “I’m still focused, still motivated, and I still love what I do with all my heart. I’m going to be here for quite some time, so get used to it.”

The comments mark the clearest indication yet that Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari project remains a long-term commitment despite mounting scrutiny over results, performances, and Ferrari’s position in the current Formula 1 pecking order.

Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was one of the biggest driver transfers in F1 history, but the partnership has so far struggled to fully ignite. His debut campaign in red during 2025 ended without a single podium finish — the first podium-less season of his career — while teammate Charles Leclerc consistently extracted more pace from the car across much of the year.

There were signs of progress at the start of the current campaign, however. Hamilton secured his first Ferrari podium in China and appeared increasingly comfortable with the SF-26 in the early rounds. Yet recent races in Japan and Miami exposed familiar concerns, with Ferrari again slipping behind rivals McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull on outright pace.

In Miami, Hamilton’s race was compromised almost immediately after first-lap contact with Franco Colapinto damaged his car. He eventually finished sixth, leaving him nearly 50 points adrift of championship leader Kimi Antonelli — the young Mercedes driver who replaced him at Brackley.

The pressure surrounding Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari has only intensified as a result.

Montreal now arrives at a pivotal moment in Hamilton’s season. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve remains one of his favourite venues on the calendar and the site of his first Formula 1 victory back in 2007. He is also a record seven-time winner in Canada, making this weekend an important opportunity to reset momentum.

Hamilton has already revealed he plans to change his preparation methods heading into the race after growing frustrated with Ferrari’s simulator correlation issues.

“I don’t like simulators in general,” he admitted. “You prepare for the track, get the car into a certain window, then arrive at the circuit and the setup doesn’t work. I’m stepping away from the simulator a little bit before Canada.”

Instead, the Briton appears determined to rely more heavily on instinct and experience — something that has defined much of his success across two decades in Formula 1.

Away from the track, Hamilton’s mindset has remained notably positive. The 41-year-old continues to speak openly about building something long-term with Ferrari while also embracing interests outside motorsport, from NFL ownership involvement with the Denver Broncos to his lifelong support of Arsenal.

Hamilton even celebrated Arsenal’s recent success this week with a simple “COYG” post on Instagram, a reminder that the Ferrari driver still draws inspiration from elite sporting environments beyond Formula 1.

For Ferrari, though, the central question remains whether they can give Hamilton a genuinely championship-contending car before time begins to work against both driver and team.

The early signs under Formula 1’s new-era regulations have been mixed. Ferrari’s starts and race launches have impressed, while Hamilton’s wheel-to-wheel racecraft — particularly during battles with Leclerc earlier this season — has shown flashes of the relentless Lewis Hamilton Ferrari racer that dominated the sport for years.

But McLaren currently appear to have taken a significant step forward, Red Bull remain firmly in contention with Max Verstappen, and Mercedes continue to improve around Antonelli’s emergence.

That leaves Ferrari somewhere in the crowded fight behind the frontrunners — and leaves Hamilton under increasing pressure to deliver a defining weekend in Canada.

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