However, a clause allowing him to break the agreement midway through the contract reportedly existed, allowing him to join the Scuderia team next year. It will bring to an end 11 years of Hamilton driving for Mercedes, in which time he won six of his seven World Championships.
Attention has turned to who will replace the Briton at Mercedes. With Vettel ruled out, there could be the opportunity for Carlos Sainz to complete a blockbuster swap.
Sainz has announced that he will step aside from Ferrari when his contract expires at the end of 2024, allowing Hamilton to take his seat alongside Charles Leclerc. Mercedes’ George Russell has already teased that his preference would be the Spaniard, tweeting a picture of the pair alongside the caption: “The crossover we love to see.”
