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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 August 3)

PDriverTeamPoints
1Oscar PiastriMcLaren284
2Lando NorrisMcLaren275
3Max VerstappenRed Bull187
4George RussellMercedes172
5Charles LeclercFerrari151
6Lewis HamiltonFerrari109
7Andrea AntonelliMercedes64
8Alexander AlbonWilliams54
9Nico HülkenbergKick Sauber37
10Esteban OconHaas27
11Fernando AlonsoAston Martin26
12Lance StrollAston Martin26
13Isack HadjarRacing Bulls22
14Pierre GaslyAlpine20
15Liam LawsonRacing Bulls20
16Carlos SainzWilliams16
17Gabriel BortoletoKick Sauber14
18Yuki TsunodaRed Bull10
19Oliver BearmanHaas8
20Jack DoohanAlpine0
21Franco ColapintoAlpine0
PTeamPoints
1McLaren F1 Team559
         Poles: 8       Sprint wins: 1       GP wins: 11
2Scuderia Ferrari HP260
         Poles: 1       Sprint wins: 1       GP wins: 0
3Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team236
         Poles: 1       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 1
4Oracle Red Bull Racing194
         Poles: 4       Sprint wins: 1       GP wins: 2
5Atlassian Williams Racing70
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
6Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team52
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
7Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber51
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
8Visa Cash App Racing Bulls45
         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 August 24)

PRiderTeamPoints
1Marc MarquezDucati Lenovo455
2Alex MarquezGresini Racing280
3Francesco BagnaiaDucati Lenovo228
4Marco BezzecchiAprilia Racing197
5Pedro AcostaRed Bull KTM164
6Franco MorbidelliPertamina Enduro VR46161
7Fabio Di GiannantonioPertamina Enduro VR46154
8Fermin AldeguerGresini Racing126
9Johann ZarcoCastrol Honda LCR114
10Fabio QuartararoMonster Energy Yamaha109
11Brad BinderRed Bull KTM91
12Raul FernandezTrackhouse Racing73
13Luca MariniHonda HRC Castrol72
14Maverick ViñalesKTM Tech369
15Enea BastianiniKTM Tech363
16Ai OguraTrackhouse Racing58
17Jack MillerPramac Racing52
18Joan MirHonda HRC Castrol46
19Alex RinsMonster Energy Yamaha45
20Jorge MartinAprilia Racing23
21Pol EspargaroKTM Tech316
22Miguel OliveiraPramac Racing10
23Takaaki NakagamiHRC Team10
24Lorenzo SavadoriAprilia Racing8
25Augusto FernandezYamaha Factory Racing6
26Somkiat ChantraIdemitsu Honda LCR1
27Aleix EspargaroHRC Team0
PTeamPoints
1Ducati Lenovo Team683
         Poles: 9       Sprint wins: 13       GP wins: 11
2BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP406
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 1       GP wins: 1
3Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team315
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
4Red Bull KTM Factory Racing255
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
5Aprilia Racing228
         Poles: 1       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 1
6Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP154
         Poles: 4       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
7Red Bull KTM Tech3148
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
8Trackhouse MotoGP Team131
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
9Honda HRC Castrol118
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0
10Honda LCR MotoGP115
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 1
11Prima Pramac Racing65
         Poles: 0       Sprint wins: 0       GP wins: 0