Lewis Hamilton “built differently” and states F1 has ‘never had anyone like me’

Lewis Hamilton has made the bold declaration that he is “built differently” to other Formula 1 drivers as he considers whether he will continue racing into the 2030s.

Seven-time F1 world champion has left the door open to extending his career into his mid-forties when discussing whether he will take part in the African Grand Prix in Rwanda, which is set to be held in the early 2030s as part of a 10-year deal.  

41-year-old Hamilton, who has the most wins and pole positions in F1, is signed up to race with Ferrari for 2027, though his future beyond that is currently uncertain. 

Hamilton’s impressive resurgence in his second campaign with Ferrari has demonstrated that he can still compete at the very front of the grid and mix it up with some of F1’s brightest young talents, like 20-year-old champion-elect Andrea Kimi Antonelli. 

"Firstly, you've never had anyone like me here in the last 10 years. So I feel that I'm built differently," Hamilton told media including Motorsport.com in Mexico City. 

"Of course, there are challenges up ahead that I can't foresee that come with age. But along this way, along this journey, there have been so many preconceived ideas about the fact that your reaction time drops off.

"Did you see my reaction in the last race? My reaction's faster than some of the youngest people here. So there are lots of tools that you can utilise to continue to keep yourself and mind sharp. 

“I guess as long as you're willing to sacrifice everything, which I continue to if I am right now. I can't say in four years whether I want to continue to do what I'm doing, but I love what I'm doing still now.

"I'm still all in and I will be for the foreseeable future. Whether or not I can compete at 44 with a 20-year-old, who knows? But at 41 I can compete with a 20-year-old. So time will tell whether I'm here in the 30s. We'll see.”

However, Hamilton made it clear he does not wish to “overstay my welcome” and remain in F1 when he is no longer able to perform at a competitive level. 

Hamilton currently lies third in the 2026 drivers' championship, one point behind George Russell. Along with the Mercedes pair, he is one of only three drivers still in mathematical title contention, though Antonelli is set to clinch the crown this weekend. 

"But I never want to overstay my welcome in the sense of still not having the performance. I don't want to be walking - driving around with that really dropped off,” the Briton added. 

“My reactions dropped off, my drive's dropped off, and my pace has dropped off, which everyone assumed last year. But I've proved everyone wrong with that and I will continue to try to do so."