Hamilton On Retirement: I’ll Be Here “Until I’m 50”
Lewis Hamilton is a legend in Formula 1, and those who have watched him since his beginnings at McLaren in 2007 will be delighted to hear that the seven-time world champion has no plans for retirement just yet.
When Hamilton announced his departure from Mercedes in 2024, many fans speculated that this was his final career move before his eventual retirement. With most Hamilton and Ferrari supporters hoping he sniches an eighth World Championship title with the Italian team, Hamilton has indicated that retirement is not on the cards, even if he does get that record-breaking title. Should he succeed, he will be the first driver in F1 history to win eight championships.
Hamilton is currently 40 years old, and although he is not the oldest driver on the grid, there are questions surrounding the duration of his career in this sport dominated by drivers in their early twenties. Fernando Alonso, a two-time champion no driving for Aston Martin, is 43 years old. Alonso attempted to retire from F1 at the end of the 2018 season but returned in 2021 and has managed to stand on the podium a few times since then.
Fans of the sport have long wagered on these legends of F1, and this season’s grid is filled with rookies and uncertainty. Fortunately, it appears like Alonso and Hamilton have no plans to step out from behind the wheels for the next two seasons, and fans can turn to an expert like Matt Bastock who helps you choose a trustworthy sportsbook where you can bet on Hamilton’s odds of winning the title for at least the next two years at Ferrari.
Hamilton has hinted that he has no retirement plans, especially not if Ferrari puts him in a position to win that elusive eighth championship trophy. Speaking to RacingNews364, he said, “If I was fortunate enough to win another title, which is obviously what we’re setting out to do, I don’t see myself stopping.”
All eyes will be on Ferrari at the first race of the season in a few weeks. Preseason testing has demonstrated that the scarlet cars are going to be competitive this year, and Hamilton’s teammate, Charles Leclerc, has indicated that the expectation is that Ferrari will finish with either a Drivers or Constructors Championship this season. If Hamilton does not perform, it will be clear to see.
However, it appears the Brit is not in the least concerned about what is expected of him, and a spark of his cheeky confidence—which seemed to have steadily disappeared during his final years at Mercedes—seemed to have returned.
Speaking to Time Magazine, Hamilton said, “What I can tell you is, retirement is nowhere on my radar. I could be here until I’m 50; who knows?” There will be challenges, the biggest likely being a shift to a new team after 12 seasons with Mercedes. But Hamilton remains unphased, saying, “I know where I need to go. I know how to get there. It’s far, and it’s going to be tough to get there. But I know I’ve got all the ingredients, all the people, an amazing team around me.”
Both Alonso and Hamilton have contracts that run until the end of 2026, with a potential deal in the latter’s contract that he can stay on longer, depending on his performance.
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