Brundle backs Hamilton to win 10 F1 titles and 150 races before he retires

Lewis Hamilton can go on to amass 10 world championship titles and 150 race wins before he retires, according to ex-Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle.

The Mercedes driver claimed his seventh drivers’ world title last season to move level with Michael Schumacher, whose long-standing record for most grand prix wins was also broken by the 35-year-old Briton in 2020.

Hamilton, who is yet to sign a new contract to continue racing in 2021, ended last year with 95 victories to his name as well as 98 pole positions and will standalone as the most successful driver of all time if he wins another championship.

“For me, Lewis hasn’t really had a true rival since Rosberg retired,” Brundle told Sky Sports F1. “Verstappen has never quite had the machinery. There’s not really been a combo to challenge Lewis since 2016. Either in his own team or any other team, nobody’s quite had all the stars aligned.

“I think what has stood out about Lewis over the years is how few mistakes he makes, how complete he is, and clean,” he added. “He’s a clean racing driver which I think is a very important point.

“His work rate is also incredible, and that’s something you hear up and down the paddock. And his motivation. When you’ve got all of that success, money, and a trophy cabinet like that, to keep the motivation is super impressive.

“And he just never makes a mistake. In wheel-to-wheel combat, in qualifying… he’s 35, going on 25. He just doesn’t fade, mentally or physically – his eyesight, his reactions, nothing has fallen away.”

And the former F1 driver turned pundit believes there is still a lot more to come from Hamilton before he considers calling time on his illustrious career.

“If you’re going to start fading, you’re on a gentle slope - he doesn’t appear to have started that slope yet,” Brundle explained.

“Michael was in his 40s when he retired and he started making a lot of mistakes, and most of us did – you start having crashes at the end and you don’t know why that happened. That’s what it looks like Sebastian is to me, right now.

“I think 10 championships and maybe 150 race victories is entirely doable [for Hamilton].

“My gut feeling is he’ll stop a year early rather than a year late. He’s not going to hang on until the bitter end for a few more dollars, or just to be a Formula 1 driver, and nor will he need to.

“He’s obviously got other ambitions in his life, but I can’t imagine why he would stop in the next five years, or certainly three. Why would he?”