Hamilton Warns He Has ‘Unfinished Business’ after Extending Contract at Mercedes

Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton attends a press conference at the Monza Circuit ahead of the Italy's Formula One Grand Prix, in Monza northern Italy, on August 31, 2023. (AFP)
Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton attends a press conference at the Monza Circuit ahead of the Italy's Formula One Grand Prix, in Monza northern Italy, on August 31, 2023. (AFP)
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Hamilton Warns He Has ‘Unfinished Business’ after Extending Contract at Mercedes

Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton attends a press conference at the Monza Circuit ahead of the Italy's Formula One Grand Prix, in Monza northern Italy, on August 31, 2023. (AFP)
Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton attends a press conference at the Monza Circuit ahead of the Italy's Formula One Grand Prix, in Monza northern Italy, on August 31, 2023. (AFP)

Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton warned his rivals he had “unfinished business” after extending his contract at Mercedes.

Hamilton and teammate George Russell penned new deals through to the end of the 2025 season.

“You’re all stuck with me for a little longer,” Hamilton said with a smile on Thursday at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. “Honestly, I couldn’t be happier to be extending with this team.

“We’ve had such an incredible journey together. Mercedes have supported me since I was 13, such a long trip, and we still have unfinished business. We’re in this together, we’ve got a lot of work to do to get us back to the front but there’s no place I’d rather be.”

Hamilton’s current contract was to expire at the end of this season. The new deal, which is worth a reported 50 million pounds ($63.4 million), will see him racing past his 40th birthday.

“I definitely didn’t think I would be at the age that I am and feel the way that I do physically and mentally and still love what I’m doing as much as I do,” Hamilton said. “That’s something I’m incredibly grateful for.

“For me, it’s a journey of love, still to have that love, still loving the car, still love racing with my peers ... chasing that goal and dream. I love that feeling when you have those together. There’s nothing like it.”

Hamilton has been at Mercedes since 2013 and won six of his seven world titles with the team. But he has had a relatively poor past two years, since Max Verstappen controversially pipped him to the F1 title on the last lap of the 2021 season.

Hamilton and Mercedes have been playing catchup ever since.

Verstappen comes into this weekend chasing a record-breaking 10th straight victory. Hamilton, who has a record 103 race wins, has not stepped foot on the top spot of the podium in two years.

“I’m not really a revenge person, it’s not about revenge, it’s not about redemption,” Hamilton said. “That’s in the past, there’s nothing we can do about the past.

“What we can do is work harder ... I truly believe that with this team we can win more championships and more races together. That’s where my energy is going.”



Club World Cup Will Be Bigger than Champions League, Says Chelsea’s Colwill

Chelsea FC #6 Levi Colwill celebrates with teammates after winning the FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Getty Images / AFP)
Chelsea FC #6 Levi Colwill celebrates with teammates after winning the FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Getty Images / AFP)
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Club World Cup Will Be Bigger than Champions League, Says Chelsea’s Colwill

Chelsea FC #6 Levi Colwill celebrates with teammates after winning the FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Getty Images / AFP)
Chelsea FC #6 Levi Colwill celebrates with teammates after winning the FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Getty Images / AFP)

Chelsea defender Levi Colwill said the Club World Cup will be bigger than the Champions League after his side beat European champions Paris St Germain 3-0 in the final in New Jersey on Sunday.

The quadrennial competition will return in 2029, which will be the second edition under the expanded format with 32 teams.

"This is the biggest trophy I've ever won. I think the Club World Cup will be bigger than the Champions League and we were the first team to win it," the 22-year-old Colwill said.

"I've really enjoyed it, playing games every four or five days. Playing to sold-out stadiums, playing against different teams who you would never normally get a chance to play."

The England international said Chelsea would carry the momentum forward having beaten a phenomenal PSG side who had conceded only one goal in the tournament before the final.

"I said at the start of this tournament that our plan is to win it and people looked at me as if I was crazy. So I'm going to say the exact same thing now going into the Premier League and Champions League," Colwill said.

Chelsea have won the Champions League twice, in 2012 and 2021.