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Whitmarsh Expects Hamilton To Stay With McLaren

Vodafone McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh seems very certain his driver Lewis Hamilton will stay with the Woking-based team and he has no doubts a new contract will be signed eventually.

Although Hamilton's current deal with McLaren runs out at the end of this season, and there remains a chance that the 2008 World Champion will drive for Mercedes if multiple World Champion Michael Schumacher decides to quit Formula 1 for the second time. Whitmarsh , though, insists both McLaren and Hamilton are happy to bide their time to ensure what they agree on is best for both parties.

And ahead of what looks set to be a tight battle for the 2012 World Championship over the second half of the season, the McLaren team principal convinced there will be no detrimental effect if nothing is sorted out before the Belgian Grand Prix.

Speaking to Autosport, Whitmarsh said: "I honestly don't think it is an issue. You get a few questions over a weekend about it, and it is clearly fascinating to some people, but I really don't think it is an issue. Lewis and I have spoken two or three times at length. I think we are closer than we have ever been, and I have known him since he was 11, and our conversations have been about how we are going to beat the other teams, and how we are going to try and win races. We don't talk about these issues at race tracks because I don't think it is the right environment."

"Ultimately, the contract situation is relatively straightforward. If Lewis wants to stay in the team, which he has told me he does, then he should do. And if we want to keep him, then we should do. If the answer to both those matters is yes, then I think it is eminently doable so not something that has to have as much focus as turning up at races, trying to bring the quickest car you can and doing the best job possible."

Whitmarsh thinks Hamilton is in the best form of his career, although he has had a couple of frustrations this season and lies 47 points behind Ferrari's Spanish Championsip leader Fernando Alonso.

"I think inevitably you can pick over the bones of issues in minutiae, and come to a conclusion, but if you stand back, I think anyone who has closely observed Lewis in terms of where he is in his head, where he is in his focus, and in his confidence. I think he is actually in a much stronger position now than he was last year."

"Lewis has gone through some interesting cycles, and it has been interesting for some of us who have known him for a good many years to see that. He is in a stronger place and, although it doesn't mean everything is going to go right for him, he is stronger mentally than he has ever been.
"He has had some big challenges, and last year by his extraordinarily high standards was not one of his better years. But he is a passionate driver who wants to win races, and I would be very worried if he did not exhibit those characteristics and he is stronger minded and clearly more experienced than he has ever been," Whitmarsh added.

Sky 4 Energy

2025 F1 Championship Standings (as of July 27)

PDriverTeamPoints
1Oscar PiastriMcLaren266
2Lando NorrisMcLaren250
3Max VerstappenRed Bull185
4George RussellMercedes157
5Charles LeclercFerrari139
6Lewis HamiltonFerrari109
7Andrea AntonelliMercedes63
8Alexander AlbonWilliams54
9Nico HülkenbergKick Sauber37
10Esteban OconHaas27
11Isack HadjarRacing Bulls22
12Pierre GaslyAlpine20
13Lance StrollAston Martin20
14Fernando AlonsoAston Martin16
15Carlos SainzWilliams16
16Liam LawsonRacing Bulls16
17Yuki TsunodaRed Bull10
18Oliver BearmanHaas8
19Gabriel BortoletoKick Sauber6
20Jack DoohanAlpine0
21Franco ColapintoAlpine0
PTeamPoints
1McLaren F1 Team516
         Poles: 8       Sprint wins: 1       GP wins: 10
2Scuderia Ferrari HP248
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 1       GP wins: 0
3Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team220
         Poles: 1       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 1
4Oracle Red Bull Racing192
         Poles: 4       Sprint wins: 1       GP wins: 2
5Atlassian Williams Racing70
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
6Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber43
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
7Visa Cash App Racing Bulls41
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
8Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team36
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
9MoneyGram Haas F1 Team35
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
10BWT Alpine F1 Team20
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0

2025 MotoGP Championship Standings (as of July 20)

PRiderTeamPoints
1Marc MarquezDucati Lenovo381
2Alex MarquezGresini Racing261
3Francesco BagnaiaDucati Lenovo213
4Marco BezzecchiAprilia Racing156
5Fabio Di GiannantonioPertamina Enduro VR46142
6Franco MorbidelliPertamina Enduro VR46139
7Pedro AcostaRed Bull KTM124
8Johann ZarcoCastrol Honda LCR109
9Fabio QuartararoMonster Energy Yamaha102
10Fermin AldeguerGresini Racing97
11Maverick ViñalesKTM Tech369
12Brad BinderRed Bull KTM68
13Raul FernandezTrackhouse Racing66
14Luca MariniHonda HRC Castrol52
15Jack MillerPramac Racing52
16Ai OguraTrackhouse Racing51
17Enea BastianiniKTM Tech349
18Alex RinsMonster Energy Yamaha42
19Joan MirHonda HRC Castrol32
20Takaaki NakagamiHRC Team10
21Jorge MartinAprilia Racing9
22Lorenzo SavadoriAprilia Racing8
23Pol EspargaroKTM Tech38
24Miguel OliveiraPramac Racing6
25Augusto FernandezYamaha Factory Racing6
26Somkiat ChantraIdemitsu Honda LCR1
27Aleix EspargaroHRC Team0
PTeamPoints
1Ducati Lenovo Team594
         Poles: 8       Sprint wins: 11       GP wins: 9
2BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP358
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 1       GP wins: 1
3Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team281
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
4Red Bull KTM Factory Racing192
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
5Aprilia Racing173
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 1
6Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP144
         Poles: 4       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
7Red Bull KTM Tech3126
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
8Trackhouse MotoGP Team117
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
9Honda LCR MotoGP110
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 1
10Honda HRC Castrol84
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
11Prima Pramac Racing61
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0