Lewis Hamilton has hit back at “people that are trying to retire” him from F1, claiming he is not going anywhere for the foreseeable future.
The 41-year-old is in his 20th season racing in the championship, but insists he is not yet considering walking away, despite the significant noise that consistently surrounds his future.
In his second campaign with Ferrari, the seven-time F1 drivers’ champion has been a renewed force, coming straight on the back of a torrid maiden voyage with the Scuderia, which was the first podiumless year of his career.
The end of the contemporary ground effects era of F1 has rejuvenated Hamilton, who never enjoyed — nor truly got comfortable — with the previous generation of cars, but as he struggled to get to grips with his new surroundings last year, the calls for him to retire became amplified.
Now, having survived that test, the Ferrari driver did not miss the opportunity to send a powerful message to his detractors when asked about his contract situation, which runs through 2027.
“Yep, I’m still in contract, so everything’s 100% clear to me,” Hamilton told media, including ApexF1News.
“I’m still focused, I’m still motivated, I still love what I do with all my heart, and I’m gonna be here for quite some time, so get used to it.”
Despite numerous high-profile names from the world of F1, including Bernie Ecclestone and Ralf Schumacher, imploring him to call time on his career, Hamilton dismissed his critics.
“There’s a lot of people that are trying to retire me, and that’s not even on my thoughts,” the 105-time grand prix winner added.
“I’m already thinking of what will be next and planning for like the next five years, but I still plan to be here for some time.”
