Lewis Hamilton recently in an interview opened up about his retirement plans and how he currently plans to drive well into his forties.
Lewis Hamilton is one of the if not the greatest driver in Formula One history. The 7-time World Champion is currently driving for Mercedes and will move to Ferrari at the end of the season. Hamilton is currently the second oldest driver on the F1 grid after Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
At the age of 39, Hamilton does not have any plans to slow down or to quit racing. The terms of Lewis’s deal with Ferrari are currently unclear but he will be racing for them when the new regulations are implemented in 2026. Lewis had also claimed earlier this year that he will be racing well into his 40s.
Hamilton’s Retirement Plan
While speaking to Esquire, Lewis opened up on his plans on how long he would like to continue and when he plans to retire.
“I definitely do.
“There are days I’m like, shoot, I don’t know how much longer I can go.
“There are days I’m like, shoot, I’d love a break, a proper break, because you don’t get a real big break in the season like other sports.
“You don’t finish until mid to late December, and then you’re back into training already in January, and that’s two times a day you’re training.
“There are another couple of hours of therapy that you’re doing during that time as well.
“So you’re not really getting a huge amount of downtime. And in February, you’re flat out running until December.”
Hamilton teased: “But I do have mentally a plan of where I would like to extend to.
“I’ve just got to strategize and sequence things. I’m very much about sequencing, like looking at brands that I collaborate with, companies that I’m essentially starting, how I manage my time between all those, and how I’m able to dedicate myself to this job still.
“Is there a time when I’m not all in and I’m just not in love with it anymore?
“That’s the moment that hopefully never happens, in the sense that I’ve fallen out of love with it.
“But I will know when I need to stop.”
Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have been constantly proving week in and week out that it is very possible for older drivers to compete for a world title with the coming in of fresh and younger drivers into the sport.
The Hunt For The 8th World Championship
Lewis Hamilton in the quest to win his 8th World Championship and become the driver with the most World Titles has decided to join Ferrari from 2025 onwards. While speaking on his career plans going forward Hamilton added, “I want to make sure I really max it out while I can and fully enjoy this sport I’ve done my whole life.
🚨 BREAKING:#F1 | John Elkann on Lewis Hamilton and his move to Ferrari: “He wants to win the eighth title, Ferrari wants to win and with Lewis they are stronger. He doesn’t come to Ferrari to enjoy his retirement and it’s important to have motivated people around, who want to… pic.twitter.com/kA5qSJ4SFp
— FastLane By ArrY (@FastlaneByArry) August 8, 2024
“There are so many people that have finished their careers early, and I’ve spoken to many who’ve said they wish they could have just done one more year or two. And they’re like, ‘Stay in as long as you can!’
“So it’s like, how much do you want to train? When you’re twenty-two, it’s so easy to work out and be fit. There’s no recovery and you’ve got nothing else going on, no other stresses, no real responsibilities except for that one thing to go and kill.
“Now it’s: How can you stay sharp and be able to do all those things you have going on, and still be able to compete with those young guys in their twenties?”
When asked about his motivation regarding defeating the younger drivers, Hamilton said, “I’m super competitive naturally. I don’t care who it is. I just want to win.”
Lewis and Mercedes will be back in action from 22nd August as F1 resumes after the mid-season break.
