Lewis Hamilton will turn 40 in January and the Brit has opened up about his Formula 1 future ahead of his huge switch to Ferrari, explaining why he continues to compete
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has explained why he continues to race, with the 39-year-old set to make a blockbuster move to Ferrari next season.
Hamilton has signed a multi-year deal with Ferrari and 2025 will be his 19th consecutive season in F1. Despite his longevity in the sport, Hamilton says he still gets a “huge thrill” every time a race starts and believes that is “probably why I’m still racing”
“If I was numb to it, that would really suck, and I’d probably be doing something else. But I’d have to fly fighter jets or something… to come anywhere near close.”
Hamilton has previously revealed he does have a plan in place for his eventual retirement, but has vowed “really max it out while I can”. Speaking to US magazine Esquire last month, he said: “There are days I’m like, ‘shoot, I don’t know how much longer I can go’.
“There are days I’m like, ‘shoot, I’d love a break’ because you don’t get a real big break in the season like other sports. You’re not really getting a huge amount of downtime. But I do have, mentally, a plan of where I would like to extend to.
Hamilton has outlined his retirement plan (
(Image: Getty))
“I’ve just got to strategise and sequence things. Is there a time when I’m not all in, and I’m just not in love with it anymore? That’s the moment that hopefully never happens, in the sense that I’ve fallen out of love with it.
“But I will know when I need to stop. I want to make sure I really max it out while I can and fully enjoy this sport I’ve done my whole life. There are so many people that have finished their careers early.
“And I’ve spoken to many who’ve said they wish they could have just done one more year or two. And they’re like, ‘Stay in as long as you can!’ But I don’t want to do it if I’m not good.”