Lewis Hamilton is not feeding the Ferrari drama machine, which is rude to everyone who had already prepared the split-garage graphics. After Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari deal was confirmed as a new multi-year commitment, Hamilton publicly welcomed the move and said he and his team-mate “work well together” as the Scuderia tries to turn stability into something more useful, like championships.

Ferrari said this week that Leclerc has signed a new agreement to stay with the team “for the coming seasons.” The team did not publish the exact length of the contract, because Formula 1 teams enjoy suspense almost as much as downforce. Reports indicate the extension keeps the Monegasque driver at Maranello until at least the end of 2028.

Why Leclerc’s renewal matters for Ferrari

Leclerc’s new contract strengthens a relationship that began in full-time Formula 1 terms in 2019, when he joined Ferrari as one of the sport’s brightest young talents. Since then, he has become central to the team’s modern identity, taking major wins at Monza and Monaco and becoming Ferrari’s second most experienced driver by appearances behind Michael Schumacher.

The renewal signals two things at once: Leclerc still believes Ferrari can give him a title-winning car, and Ferrari still sees him as a driver capable of ending its long championship drought. The team has not won the Drivers’ Championship since 2007 or the Constructors’ Championship since 2008, a fact that follows every Ferrari season like an unpaid invoice.

By locking in Leclerc, Ferrari gives team principal Fred Vasseur and the Maranello technical group one fewer uncertainty to manage as the sport works through its latest technical era. Driver market speculation is noisy enough without a franchise-level contract question sitting in the middle of the garage.

What Hamilton said about sharing the garage

Hamilton’s response ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend was notably calm. He framed Leclerc’s long-term stay as a positive for the team, not as a threat to his own place within it.

The seven-time world champion said the two Ferrari drivers collaborate well, both with each other and with the broader technical staff. His point was simple: Ferrari’s current driver pairing is pushing in the same direction.

That matters because Hamilton’s move to Ferrari for the 2025 season created one of the most watched partnerships in recent Formula 1. Ferrari announced in February 2024 that Hamilton would leave Mercedes for Maranello on a multi-year deal, but the team never disclosed the full length of that contract. Naturally, the absence of detail was treated as an invitation for speculation.

Hamilton has since tried to shut that down. At the Canadian Grand Prix, he confirmed he remains under contract with Ferrari for 2027 and dismissed suggestions that retirement is close. He said his future is clear to him, he remains motivated, and he is already thinking about the years ahead.

How Hamilton’s Ferrari form has changed

The questions around Hamilton’s future did not appear from nowhere. His first season in red in 2025 was difficult by his standards. Formula 1 reported that he went through all 24 Grands Prix without a podium and ended the year 86 points behind Leclerc in the Drivers’ Championship.

For a driver with seven world titles, that was always going to generate noise. For Ferrari, where every underwhelming result is examined with laboratory-level intensity, it was practically guaranteed.

The 2026 season has offered a more encouraging picture. Hamilton took his first Grand Prix podium for Ferrari in China, then followed it with second place in Canada, his best Grand Prix result for the team so far.

Before the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, the internal gap had tightened sharply:

  • Hamilton was fourth in the Drivers’ standings on 72 points.
  • Leclerc was three points ahead.
  • Both Ferrari drivers had taken two podiums in the opening phase of the season.

That is still a fight inside the garage, but it is a healthier one for Ferrari than a one-sided scoreboard.

Why Monaco could test Ferrari’s stability

Monaco gives Ferrari an immediate stage to show whether its steadier driver picture is backed by a competitive car. Mercedes has started the season as the dominant team, but Ferrari has been viewed by rivals and analysts as a strong contender on the streets of Monte Carlo.

The reasoning is straightforward. Monaco rewards slow-corner performance, mechanical grip, downforce and driver precision more than outright power. Ferrari’s SF-26 is believed to suit that profile better than some other circuits.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli described Ferrari as the team to beat in Monaco. Hamilton also said the car could be “really strong” there, which is careful Formula 1 language for optimism with a legal department nearby.

A strong Monaco showing would not solve Ferrari’s bigger questions, but it would support Hamilton’s claim that he and Leclerc are helping move the team forward together. It would also give Ferrari a useful result at a circuit where mistakes are punished quickly and passing opportunities are mostly theoretical.

What this means for Ferrari’s title ambitions

Hamilton’s endorsement of Leclerc’s new contract carries more weight than a routine team-mate compliment. It pushes back against the idea that Ferrari must choose between its long-term Monegasque star and its global champion signing.

Instead, Hamilton is presenting the line-up as a shared project. Leclerc brings deep Ferrari experience and emotional connection to Maranello. Hamilton brings championship knowledge, racecraft and a very public refusal to be written off.

That combination gives Ferrari continuity at a time when rival teams are dealing with their own contract questions. It also allows Vasseur’s group to focus more directly on car development, race execution and closing the gap to Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull.

Still, continuity is not a trophy. Ferrari now has two major drivers publicly committed to its future, but the team still needs machinery capable of fighting at the front consistently. Hamilton’s admission is that Leclerc’s presence helps that mission rather than complicates it. The next step is proving the stability was worth more than a neat press release.