"In my mind I can definitely do another five years," Hamilton tells David Letterman as he chases Schumacher's records; " I feel like I would be squandering [this opportunity] if I didn't continue."
Monday 3 June 2019 18:02, UK
Lewis Hamilton says he can "definitely" prolong his Formula 1 career for another five years as he looks to break Michael Schumacher's records.
Schumacher's feats - with his seven world championships and 91 race wins - once looked insurmountable, but Hamilton is closing in after claiming his fifth title last season and his 77th race victory at the Monaco GP.
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Hamilton's current contract at Mercedes expires at the end of the 2020 season but even if he does not reach Schumacher's records by that point, the Englishman told US chat show host David Letterman he is willing to extend his stay in F1 to do so.
"Michael retired when he was 38 - I'm 33," Hamilton, who is now 34, said on Letterman's Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction when it was filmed last year.
"So... I mean in my mind I can definitely do another five years."
Told that it is not a given that he would reach Schumacher's milestones, Hamilton replied: "I am ridiculously determined to win."
Hamilton has won four of F1 2019's six races and leads the championship by 17 points. Armed with another mighty Mercedes car, a sixth title looks up for grabs this season.
And Hamilton, who is happy at Mercedes but has been linked to Ferrari, appears motivated to continue in the sport for some time yet.
"What really drives me, and I feel that somewhat the people I race against may lack, is that fire," Hamilton added.
"I've got this opportunity, and I could easily let go of it right now, but I feel like I would be squandering it if I didn't continue to improve, grow and push.
"I've got to keep going for as long as I can basically, until I'm not enjoying it."
In an illuminating sit-down interview which gave an insight into the driver's childhood, as well as his father Anthony's struggles, Hamilton also revealed he has suffered mentally in recent years,
"It's a hard, hard year mentally," Hamilton said. "You have these massive highs of these wins and success, then you have these massive come downs.
"It's something I've never really spoken about but you often do suffer from mental issues, instabilities.
"Keeping that through the year, keeping yourself together when you hit rock bottom - which you do as an athlete - if you're lucky you can find that there's still strength at rock bottom.
"It's about how you get up, not how you fall."
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