Announcement: Mercedes officially announces Lewis Hamilton's participation in final 3 races

It has been reported that Lewis Hamilton will be joining Ferrari next year, but Mercedes has denied rumors that the seven-time Formula 1 champion will be leaving the team before the current season ends.

Speculation of Hamilton's immediate departure from Mercedes arose after his disappointing performance in Brazil last week, where he placed 11th in the sprint on Saturday and 10th in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday.

Following the race, Hamilton expressed his frustration over the team radio, saying, "That was a terrible weekend, guys. The car was the worst it has ever been. Thank you for trying and great job to all the guys at the pit-stop. If this is my last performance, it's a shame it wasn't a good one, but I am grateful for you."

In an interview with Sky Sports F1, Hamilton also mentioned that he would "happily go on holiday" instead of participating in the last three races of the season.

However, multiple media outlets have confirmed that Mercedes has stated Hamilton will still be driving in the remaining races of the season, including Las Vegas on Nov. 24, Lusail, Qatar on Dec. 1, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Dec. 8.

At 39 years old, Hamilton is currently in seventh place in the F1 driver standings, while Mercedes is in fourth place in the constructor standings. He has achieved two wins this year at the British Grand Prix and the Belgian Grand Prix, bringing his career total to 105 victories.

Hamilton has previously won the F1 championship in 2008, 2014, 2015, and four consecutive times from 2017-2020.