Lewis Hamilton contract clause emerges in huge twist to Ferrari exit saga

Lewis Hamilton reportedly boasts complete authority over whether his Ferrari career concludes following the 2026 season. According to an Italian report, the Scuderia lacks any ability to prevent the British driver from prolonging his tenure into the 2027 campaign, even should they opt to pursue a different direction.

The adjustment has proved challenging for the seven-time Formula One world champion since making his move. He joined Ferrari hoping for more opportunities to compete for silverware after a challenging 2024 campaign with the Mercedes team he served with excellence for over a decade. However, there have been scant memorable moments thus far wearing Ferrari red.

The Hungarian Grand Prix proved particularly disappointing, marking his first pointless finish of the year as he crossed the line in 12th following poor qualifying, after which he branded himself "useless".

Hamilton sits sixth in the drivers' championship, merely one position behind team-mate Charles Leclerc, yet trailing the Moneegasque by 42 points. His Ferrari colleague has secured five Grand Prix podiums in 2025, whilst the Brit has yet to taste such success since his Maranello switch. He turns 41 in January, and it's evident that Hamilton finds himself in the closing chapters of his extraordinary F1 journey.

Currently, his Ferrari contract concludes in 2026, though it's been widely recognised that his £50million-per-year agreement includes provisions to extend his stay for an additional season beyond that point. According to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport though, Ferrari does not have the power to decide Lewis Hamilton's future with the team.

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The paper reports that it is Hamilton who holds the power to determine whether he will continue to occupy his seat in 2027. The British racing driver was reportedly able to secure such a clause in his contract due to the commercial benefits his presence brings to both the team and Ferrari as a wider organisation. The company's share price soared on the day news broke that the F1 legend would be joining the team.

Charles Leclerc also has a long-term contract, signed last year, which is expected to keep him at Ferrari until 2029. This leaves the Scuderia with very little flexibility over its driver line-up for at least the next three years, given the influence Hamilton has over his own future.

As for Hamilton's long-term successor, the Italian giants believe they already have a future star in Oliver Bearman. Despite being signed to customer team Haas, Bearman is being somewhat groomed as a future Ferrari driver. However, the decision about when this might happen appears to rest with Hamilton. The seven-time champion is highly self-aware and is unlikely to extend his Ferrari career if he concludes that he is no longer at the peak of his powers.