Hamilton not dwelling on leaving legacy in F1

Lewis Hamilton is not dwelling on thoughts of leaving a legacy in Formula 1 once his time in the sport comes to an end, saying he prefers to focus on enjoying the successful moments as they happen.

Mercedes driver Hamilton wrapped up his sixth F1 title in 2019 to put himself just one championship short of Michael Schumacher’s record, and is now just seven wins shy of Schumacher’s tally of 91 race wins.

At 34, Hamilton will be the second-oldest driver on the grid in 2020, and has become increasingly active in interests outside of F1 in recent years. He launched a fashion line with Tommy Hilfiger, and is more and more vocal about environmental issues.

The idea of leaving a legacy in F1 is not something Hamilton is dwelling on, though the Briton said he hoped he would leave a positive message once his career comes to an end.

“I was with my dad the other day and he brought it up but it’s a difficult one. I don’t put too much energy or thought process towards it,” Hamilton said when asked about the idea of leaving a legacy in the sport.

“Naturally, the things that I am doing hopefully will lead to some sort of legacy and I’m trying to make sure that it’s a positive one, but again, I don’t put a huge amount of thought on it.

“I don’t know what age you would say you have a legacy and I’ve got to try and make sure that I enjoy these moments.

“At the end of the season, I’m looking forward to sitting up with my feet in front of the fireplace with my niece and nephew probably jumping around me and thinking what an incredible year it’s been. It’s really important to enjoy that.

“I hope it’s a good legacy but you don’t know how long each person’s life is going to be so I can’t really get too far ahead.

“All I can try and do is try and focus on now and shaping the following months and years ahead of me.”