Lewis Hamilton is targeting “at least” three more years and maybe more in Formula 1 beyond 2020.
Now at the age of 35, the six-time world champion almost certainly has fewer seasons ahead than behind him in F1 and questions about his future have been more prevalent with his Mercedes contract expiring after this year.
However, just when most assumed Hamilton would likely be negotiating his final deal as an F1 driver, he admits the extended winter break has refreshed his motivation and drive.
“I don’t think you can guarantee anything but I plan to be here for sure, that’s definitely the goal,” he said initially on if he’ll be racing at Silverstone in 2021 ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix.
“In terms of how long I go, that’s a bit of an unknown. The COVID lockdown, whilst it was a negative in many, many ways, in some ways it gave a lot of life, a lot of energy to focus on some other things.
“That bit of time off was really a bit of breathing space, so it has kind of given me a bit of renewed energy to perhaps go longer.
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“Ultimately, I want to be able to perform at the level I am performing at now forever, but obviously there is a point at which physicality and the mental side can tail off,” Lewis conceded.
“I don’t know when that will be but I don’t see that happening in the short-term, in the next two or three years. So, I’m definitely going to be here for the foreseeable future.”
There has often been a view that Hamilton may call time on his career sooner than most with his activities off the track, such as this week revealing he was part of a Christina Aguilera music track two years ago under the name XNDA.
Now he’s also committing a lot of energy and time to the Black Lives Matter movement, but actually still being the only black driver in F1 is another reason why he’s keen to stay and why, despite all his success, he feels he has to prove himself.
“There’s not another driver from my background coming and I’m conscious of that as well,” Hamilton said.
“I want to earn my position here and I feel like every year I come back it’s not a given. Just because I’ve got world championships under my belt, I think you still have to earn the right to be here in terms of how you perform and continuing to deliver.
“So my goal is to continue to deliver for as long as I can. I do see myself going for at least another three years.”
