Mercedes principal Toto Wolff can see star Lewis Hamilton becoming an ambassador for the manufacturer when his driving days are over, giving him a job for life.
Hamilton, aged 37, holds the joint-record of most world championship titles alongside Michael Schumacher and hinted at retirement last year. However, the emergence of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen breaking the British driver's dominance has given him a renewed passion for the sport.
Hamilton has enjoyed remarkable success with the Mercedes team and Wolff has ruled out any other driver coming in to replace the British star when his contract ends next year.
"It is 100 percent his seat," said Wolff. "We haven't started any talks. We want to definitely finish the season and then find some quiet time over the winter like we did last time around.
"He's much more than a driver to us now. And although we're not talking about a career end, it's also important to speak about his role as an ambassador for Mercedes and the many sponsors we have and the implication he can have in our wider universe."
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Hamilton saw a run of four world titles in a row come to a dramatic end at the hands of Verstappen last season. Red Bull have dominated this year leaving the British driver without a race win as his Dutch rival has taken a record breaking 14 victories.
"I think it will be a multi-year contract," said Hamilton about his Mercedes future.
"There's this whole thing of [me] retiring that's always lingering around and honestly, I don't like the idea of it and I don't feel like I'm there. We have a lot more work to do as a team, as individuals within the team, we have a lot more to do as a sport and I want to be a part of that shifting."
Hamilton has also spoken about his work to make F1 more inclusive and diverse. The British driver wants to see more women working within the industry and shares the views of boss Wolff about his long-term future with the manufacturer.
He added: "My goal is to continue to be with Mercedes. I've been with Mercedes since I was 13. And it really is my family – Mercedes-Benz is my family. They've stuck with me through thick and thin... they've stuck with me through the ups and downs."
