McLaren have extended Lewis Hamilton s contract for a further five years meaning the young F1 star will be with the team until at least the end of the 2012 season.
Hamilton had an outstanding first season in Formula One with the team, leading the drivers championship for most of the season and finishing in second place just one point behind eventual winner Kimi Raikkonen. With McLaren already upping the young star s salary to a rumoured £13.7 million a year, it is no surprise that they have also opted to retain his services for the near future.
“”It is fantastic for me that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has extended my contract until 2012,†Hamilton said. “Whilst last year was my first year with the team in Formula One, I have been connected to McLaren and Mercedes-Benz since 1998 and feel that I could easily drive for this team for the whole of my Formula One career.
“I am with the right team to compete for race wins and both the drivers’ and constructors’ world championships in the future. We will have a lot of challenges ahead, but I am 100% positive I am with the people to take them on. The first of those challenges is the 2008 season.”
