Martin Whitmarsh trusts Lewis Hamilton will choose to stay at McLaren when his current contract expires at the end of next season.
Hamilton has been linked to a move away from the team in recent weeks but has largely played down the stories. Whitmarsh insists his driver has made his intentions perfectly clear in private, even though a contract binding him to McLaren beyond 2012 is not in place.
"Lewis has a long career ahead of him and I think he's intelligent enough to realise that the environment he has here is good for him and plays to his strengths," he told the Mail. "Lewis has made it clear to me he wants to stay in the team and I've made it clear to him I want him to stay.
"At some point, we need to get a contractual agreement that reflects that, of course. But I don't think -- despite the media interest -- that either of us thinks we have to get to a contract in three months or six months. I trust him and I think he trusts me."
Many reports have linked Hamilton with a move to world champions Red Bull, but Whitmarsh argues McLaren is a better long-term option.
"We are focused on winning the championship this year, next year, in five years and 10 years' time, as motor-racing is our core business," he said. "Ferrari can also say that with some credibility. But a lot of other teams are selling consumer goods, cars or high-caffeine drinks. I'm not criticising them. But can they say, consequently, that they are in Formula One for the long run?"
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