Lewis Hamilton has dismissed any possibility of an imminent retirement from F1, insisting that his passion for the sport has not faded and he plans to be around “for quite some time”.
After an incredibly successful run saw him clinch six Drivers’ Championships with Mercedes between 2014 and 2020, Hamilton found himself out of title contention for a number of years before he made a shock move to Ferrari for the 2025 season, partnering Charles Leclerc.
The highly-anticipated switch didn’t produce an immediate return to the top, with his strongest result being victory in the 2025 China Sprint before he finished sixth in the standings as the Scuderia lost ground to McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull.
However, Hamilton has delivered some promising results under the new regulations, securing his first Grand Prix podium with the team at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix amid Ferrari’s mission to close down the Silver Arrows’ advantage.
Asked ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix whether he’s content with his situation for next season, he replied: “Yeah, I’m still in contract so everything is 100% clear to me. I’m still focused, I’m still motivated, I still love what I do with all my heart.
“I’m going to be here for quite some time so get used to it. There’s a lot of people that are trying to retire me and that’s not even in my thoughts. I’m already thinking of what will be next and planning for the next five years. I still plan to be here for some time.”
While the full details of the 41-year-old’s contract are not public, his response implies that he plans to race for a while yet, giving him further opportunities to explore a range of different approaches with the team.
Most recently, he explained how he opted to abandon the simulator in his preparations for Canada after enduring two challenging rounds in Japan and Miami, a move supported by Ferrari as they seek to maximise their current package.
Elaborating on the environment at the team, Hamilton said: “I’m always trying to learn how I can be a better colleague, a better team mate to the people around me, how I can extract more from myself but also from the groups I get to work with.
“Teamwork really does make the dream work – it’s a real thing. When you have a huge group of people, there are so many different energies and you have to be quite dynamic to integrate into those different sections.
“I feel like I’m in a good place with my team. There’s always going to be teething issues and stuff that you have to work on but I’m really happy.”
.webp?ssl=1 "The contrasting Formula 1 style legacy of Canada’s Gilles and Jacques Villeneuve")
