Lewis Hamilton has hinted at his retirement plans, saying he doesn’t think he is going to drive forever.
Hamilton is always quizzed about his future as he approaches the twilight of his career. The seven-time champion is the third-oldest driver on the grid today, behind Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso.
Hamilton, however, believes he won’t follow in those legends’ footsteps. Ahead of the Monaco GP, Hamilton was asked if he will continue to race like Kimi and Alonso.
“I don’t think so. I don’t think I’m going to drive forever, even if this was the biggest ride of my life,” Hamilton said
“There’s a lot of things I want to keep doing for a while, but others don’t. I’d have five years left for that, and I don’t think I’m going to keep running then, even if you never say never.”
New Hamilton contract will be lengthier
Hamilton is currently in talks for a new contract with Mercedes after he only renewed it for one year. He admitted delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic put a spanner in the works.
When asked about the duration of said contract, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff concurred that it will be longer than a 12-month period.
“Yes, it should be (for more than a year),” he said.
“We don’t want to be in a stressful situation every single year where we are absolutely flat-out trying to win races and needing to negotiate. I would rather that doesn’t happen every year.
“We just need to spend a day or two together, put it out there, and decide which are the difficult components. We will then lock the door and won’t walk out until it is sorted. That works best for us and it has worked best for us in the past.”
Wolff hailed Hamilton’s longevity in F1, and compared him to NFL icon Tom Brady, who shows no signs of stopping at 43. He said Hamilton can also compete into that age.
“I have no doubt about that (racing into the 40s). He is so disciplined that in a way it is inspiring. As long as Lewis continues to look after himself mentally and physically, continues to develop cognitively, then he can go on for much longer.”
“Look at Tom Brady and we are talking about an athlete that is on the field. Here is a racing driver that has utilised all his senses,” he concluded.
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