Lewis Hamilton recently opened up about his evolving perspective on his future in Formula 1, indicating that he doesn’t necessarily have an overwhelming desire to prolong his career in the sport.
While discussing his plans, Hamilton emphasized that clinching an eighth world championship wouldn’t necessarily mark the end of his journey in F1.
Hamilton’s F1 journey began in 2007 when he debuted with McLaren, nearly securing the drivers’ championship in his maiden season. However, he clinched the title in a thrilling finale in 2008. His move to Mercedes in 2013 proved pivotal, propelling both his career and the sport into a new era of dominance.
During Mercedes’ dominant stretch from 2014 to 2020, Hamilton secured an additional six world titles, matching the record for the most championships. Despite experiencing setbacks in 2022 and 2023, Hamilton feels a shifting perspective regarding his future in F1. In an interview with Formule1, he expressed:
“I never said that an eighth title would be the end point. And I don’t know what follows after driving in Formula 1. I don’t necessarily feel the desire to remain active in Formula 1 any longer, but as I said before: never say ‘never’.”
Hamilton also contemplated the possibility of taking a sabbatical to reassess his passion for the sport. He shared:
“I can’t imagine not riding anymore and still being in a pit box somewhere. I would probably think: ‘I could stick with it for another year, then I could still participate.’ So it would probably be better to take a sabbatical and then see if I would still like to come back.”
When asked about the trend of F1 legends returning from retirement, Hamilton admitted that it wasn’t surprising, citing examples like Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher. Reflecting on the emotional void left by retiring from a lifelong pursuit, Hamilton acknowledged:
“It didn’t surprise me, because you see it more often with retired drivers. Fernando Alonso came back, Michael Schumacher too… Then you can miss it and I can imagine that it is an incredible hole to fall into.”
As Mercedes aims to regain competitiveness for the upcoming season, Hamilton’s future remains a subject of intrigue, with his decision potentially influenced by the team’s performance on the track.
