Lewis says he doesn't know when he'll stop racing in F1 after earlier quotes implied he could even quit as early as the end of this year
Monday 26 June 2017 13:08, UK
Lewis Hamilton has played down talk he could walk away from F1 early and revealed he does not necessarily aim to retire when on top.
Although Hamilton's Mercedes contract runs to the end of 2018, he was quoted as saying in an interview with the in-house magazine of F1's governing body, the FIA, "my destiny is in my own hands. I can decide to stop at the end of this year".
But asked about the comments during his press conference ahead of the Azerbaijan GP, Hamilton said: "I don't really remember discussing that. That's not something I'm thinking about right now."
Hamilton has previously said he can envisage himself signing another multi-year contract beyond his existing Mercedes deal, which would ensure he continues in F1 into his mid-late 30s.
With three world titles to his name, and places near the top of many of F1's statistical tables already assured, some have suggested Hamilton could eventually look to follow the lead of other drivers and sportspeople in the past and quit after a title success.
But asked if that could represent a plan for him one day, Hamilton told Sky Sports News HQ: "The dream for a lot of sportsmen and women is to go out on top.
"I guess you could then say a lot of people stopped before their time. I haven't decided whether I want to stop before my time, at the moment I don't plan to."
The 32-year-old, whose interests span far wider than the world of F1, admits he has a "bucket list" of things he would like to do outside of the sport - but says Mercedes allow him sufficient freedom to explore some of these at the right time.
"We always say the grass is always greener on the other side," he said.
"There are many parts of what the season stops you doing. There are so many great things that come along with it, that I'm really enjoying at the moment, but for sure there are things I look at and think 'jeez, if I had the whole year there is so much I could achieve and so many things I could tick off the bucket list'.
"But then I'll look back and think I've not been racing a Formula 1 car, so there is a time and a place for lots of different things. Prioritising is important and choosing the right times. I guess only God knows when the time is right for certain things.
"But right now I'm very, very fortunate being in this team. I've got an amazing team around me and a great boss who enables me to have part time for other interests which keep me going."
Hamilton also said he "can't imagine myself being anywhere else" but Mercedes as it stands, having joined the Brackley team in 2013 and raced with Mercedes power for all of his F1 career to date.
Asked whether he would consider joining Ferrari before hanging up his gloves, Hamilton replied: "Again, that's not something I'm thinking, at the moment all I think about is beating the Ferrari. But I've made it no secret I'm a huge fan of the team, a big fan of Ferrari and what they've achieved in the history of motorsport and the normal world in terms of the cars that they make.
"Who knows what the future holds, at the moment I can't imagine myself being anywhere else but here. I'm really enjoying the fight we have with Ferrari and admiring them for the strong competition."
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