“It Is a Love-Hate Relationship”: Lewis Hamilton on What Gives Him Retirement Dilemma Right Before His 40s

Credits: IMAGO / Michael Potts

Lewis Hamilton has clarified that he is not going anywhere from F1 for the foreseeable future. With his contract signed till 2025, the Briton will stay at Mercedes even in his 40s. However, not long ago, Hamilton highlighted that he doesn’t want to race in his 40s. Speaking about the same lately, he highlighted his love-hate relationship with F1 and how he has this dilemma on retirement despite being determined to fight in F1 in the near future.

According to f1journaal.be, Hamilton gave his thoughts about how surprisingly he is still passionate about F1, which he he did not expect in his 20s. He stated, “Today I know that I know what I want in life. Regardless, I’m a much happier person than I was then.”

However, the 39-year-old cited that he has “no set plan for the future”. While he feels at times that he has had enough of F1, the Mercedes driver is not contemplating retirement entirely. He added, “It is a love-hate relationship, at times you love it more than at others. I think there comes a point when you’ve had enough. But the love is still there.”

This love for the sport is pushing Hamilton to extend his career. However, there is the lingering question of whether the seven-time champion is still good enough to compete at the top or not.

In the past two years, the #44 driver has gone winless with his last win coming in Jeddah in 2021. Meanwhile, even Mercedes have failed to provide Hamilton with a car that is capable of winning. Another issue that is perhaps impacting the Briton is his age.

Naturally, any driver in his 40s would start to decline in performance, be it a multiple world champion. So, Hamilton in the twilight of his career is still somehow managing to keep hopes of his record 8th championship, with decent performance in subpar machinery.

Can Lewis Hamilton fulfill his dream of an 8th title?

Mercedes has trusted Lewis Hamilton to stay on the team till the end of 2025. While they still hold him as their lead star driver, even George Russell has the same contract expiry date. Thus, if Hamilton’s form declines in the next two seasons, a further extension may be doubtful.

Regardless, the Briton has set clear objectives of winning his 8th title at Brackley and the team is aligned with this vision. Whether he can do so depends on how competitive Mercedes can become by 2025.

Currently, they are way off the ultimate pace of Red Bull and need a lot of performance. Besides, if they get a championship contender car, Russell is equally capable of winning the title like Hamilton.

Thus, all these factors affect the #44 driver’s chances of winning his record championship. This also will affect his motivation to extend his contract beyond 2026. Even Mercedes may reconsider if they find a younger alternative for the future if Hamilton is unsure of continuing beyond ’26.