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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 April 13)

PDriverTeamPoints
1Lando NorrisMcLaren77
2Oscar PiastriMcLaren74
3Max VerstappenRed Bull69
4George RussellMercedes63
5Charles LeclercFerrari32
6Andrea AntonelliMercedes30
7Lewis HamiltonFerrari25
8Alexander AlbonWilliams18
9Esteban OconHaas14
10Lance StrollAston Martin10
11Nico HülkenbergKick Sauber6
12Oliver BearmanHaas6
13Pierre GaslyAlpine6
14Yuki TsunodaRed Bull5
15Isack HadjarRacing Bulls4
16Carlos SainzWilliams1
17Fernando AlonsoAston Martin0
18Gabriel BortoletoKick Sauber0
19Jack DoohanAlpine0
20Liam LawsonRacing Bulls0
PTeamPoints
1McLaren F1 Team151
         Poles: 3       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 3
2Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team93
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
3Oracle Red Bull Racing71
         Poles: 1       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 1
4Scuderia Ferrari HP57
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 1       GP wins: 0
5MoneyGram Haas F1 Team20
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
6Atlassian Williams Racing19
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
7Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team10
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
8Visa Cash App Racing Bulls7
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
9Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber6
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
10BWT Alpine F1 Team6
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0

2025 MotoGP Championship Standings (as of April 13)

PRiderTeamPoints
1Marc MarquezDucati Lenovo123
2Alex MarquezGresini Racing106
3Francesco BagnaiaDucati Lenovo97
4Franco MorbidelliPertamina Enduro VR4678
5Fabio Di GiannantonioPertamina Enduro VR4648
6Johann ZarcoCastrol Honda LCR38
7Marco BezzecchiAprilia Racing32
8Fabio QuartararoMonster Energy Yamaha30
9Ai OguraTrackhouse Racing29
10Luca MariniHonda HRC Castrol26
11Pedro AcostaRed Bull KTM24
12Brad BinderRed Bull KTM22
13Enea BastianiniKTM Tech321
14Fermin AldeguerGresini Racing20
15Jack MillerPramac Racing19
16Alex RinsMonster Energy Yamaha14
17Joan MirHonda HRC Castrol10
18Maverick ViñalesKTM Tech38
19Raul FernandezTrackhouse Racing5
20Augusto FernandezPramac Racing3
21Miguel OliveiraPramac Racing2
22Lorenzo SavadoriAprilia Racing1
23Somkiat ChantraIdemitsu Honda LCR0
24Jorge MartinAprilia Racing0
PTeamPoints
1Ducati Lenovo Team220
         Poles: 4       Sprint wins: 4       GP wins: 4
2BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP126
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
3Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team126
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
4Red Bull KTM Factory Racing46
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
5Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP44
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
6Honda LCR MotoGP38
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
7Honda HRC Castrol36
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
8Trackhouse MotoGP Team34
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
9Aprilia Racing33
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
10Red Bull KTM Tech329
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
11Prima Pramac Racing24
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0