The seven-time world champion, on his 300th F1 start, claimed a strong second place behind Max Verstappen with an ꧑impressivꦚe drive after Charles Leclerc crashed out of the lead at Paul Ricard. 

Earlier in the weekend, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff revealed he and Hamilton had held early discussions over the possibility of extending the 37-year-old’s c𝓡urrent contract, whi𒀰ch is due to expire at the end of 2023. 

Wolff said he thought Ham꧋ilton could reach the unprecedented milestone of 400 races before he retires from the sport. 

Asked about Wolff’s comments following Sunday’s grand p🦩rix, Hamil🍰ton responded: “That is a lot of races. Firstly, I want to be grateful to get to this point. 

“B෴ut I still feel fresh, and I still feel as though I have got plenty of fuel [left] in the tank. I am enjoying the process and arriving everyday and working with this group of people.

“I’m also enjoying workinꦿg with the sport more than ever. We've got 🐼some great people leading the sport and having great conversations about the direction we're going as a sport, so I'm enjoying it more than ever. 

“I want to get back to winning ways and that's goin🍸g to take time, but I'm sure we'll sit dowꩲn at some stage and talk about the future. 

“But again, just𒉰 with our team, I always want to continue to be building. It’s one thing having races, but it's also continuin♕g the work that we do outside and doing more, which I think Mercedes and us can always do more, and we will.” 

H🐠amilton was del📖ighted with his and Mercedes’ best result of what has been a difficult campaign so far. 

Although Hamilton’s Mercedes lacked the pace to challenge Verstappen for the win, he﷽ jumped ahead of Sergio Perez’s Red Bull with a great start and was able to hold off the Mexican in the early stages, before easing clear. 

And the Briton, who is enduring the longest win drought of his entire F1 career, remains confident that Mercedes are getting closer to a first victory of t🐈he seaso🉐n. 

“This ℱis my 300th GP and I woke up incredibly grateful for all the people who have bee🦹n with me,” Hamilton added. 

“For Ron Dennis and Mercedes giving me the chance when I was young. Martin W♏hitmarsh, Mansour Ojjeh. Toto Wolff, Niki Lauda, Ola Kallenius, Markus Schafe෴r and Dieter Zetsche. All of these incredible people have supported me since I was 13. 

“All of my races have been powered by Mercedes and I am very proud to be up here representing the🦄m.

“We have to keep pushing and I hoꦅpe we are getting a little cl𝔍oser. This weekend he [Max] was only 10 seconds up the road, so we are closer. 

“Keeping them [Perez] behind is tough especially wit🎀h their straight line speed.

“George and I didn’t expect🅘 to be second and third, this isꦏ a huge day for me and I am taking that positivity on to Budapest.”

Asked if he is starting to enjoy the season a bit more now, Hamil♒ton said: “100%. 

“The beginning of the year, was – not miserable, it could a👍lways be way worse – but from a driver’🃏s perspective understanding this car was so confusing.

“To now be in a position where we're starting to undeꦍrstand the car a little bit more, it’s given us much more of an enjoyable drive. 

“We s🌸till lack performance in some of those areas but we're slowly getting there. It is about constantly just chipܫping away at it. 

“Unfortunately, you can't take big leaps at the moment. But who knows? Maybe one big leap will come at some stage and we’ll be right💧 there.”