Hamilton’s future? “I plan on staying” - but for how long?
The Mercedes driver is now 37-years-old, the second-oldest on the grid behind Fernando Alonso, and his contract with his team is due to expire at the end of the F1 2023 season.
Mercedes team principal Wolff said Hamilton could remain for another five years - but the seven-time world champion could not confirm that timeframe.
“I haven't spoken to him about his comments but I can't say just yet,” Hamilton said at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix.
“Possibly, yes, I'm feeling good. I love what I'm doing. We have a lot of work to do, a lot to achieve still.
“So I'm not planning on going anywhere, any time soon.
“It’s not that I’m not sure, I know what I want to do. I plan on staying longer.
“It’s just not set in stone how long.
“I plan on staying with Mercedes for the rest of my life, that’s a definite.
“It’s more figuring out what we are going to do down the line, even beyond racing I want to be building with Mercedes and there is a lot that Mercedes can do, it’s not just a car manufacturer.
“It provides so many jobs for so many people and it has such a powerful platform to really shift narratives and it has a place where it can have a really positive impact on the environment – there’s loads of things that we can do together and I want to be a part of that.
“I want to be part of that shift and work process with Mercedes far beyond races and championships, but for now it’s to win world championships and that’s the immediate focus.”
Hamilton was denied an all-time record eighth F1 world championship by Max Verstappen at the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and now arrives at Suzuka with the sport engulfed in a cost cap row.
Hamilton has suggested that Red Bull’s alleged overspending last season contributed to Verstappen pipping him for the title. This weekend, Verstappen can add a second world title to his growing legacy.
Asked if his motivation to stay was to battle Verstappen, Hamilton said: “Less than you’d think. I think it’s more just where I am in life.
“I’ve got great things happening outside, I’ve got a lot of freedom to be able to do things, I’m building things outside of the sport with my foundation that I’ve just started, and it’s going to take a lot of work.
“There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done in this sport and I can’t retire now because I’m only just embarking in helping shift and create a more open and inclusive environment here in this sport, and I’ve got to stay to help that continue.
“Also, I feel healthier than I have ever been, just because of what I eat and how I prepare myself and I love racing. I’ve been doing it since as long as I can remember, since I was five years old and that’s not going to go away.
“If I’m still fit and able to focus, why would I stop? And I can still do the other things that I want to do at the same time as well.”
The F1 2023 calendar is its biggest ever, with 24 races.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
