Lewis Hamilton has told his Mercedes boss Toto Wolff that he feels he has 'another five years' left competing in Formula 1. Hamilton was left heartbroken at the end of the 2021 campaign as he was denied a record-breaking eighth world title on the very final lap of the season.
Following his agonising miss, the Englishman fell silent with many speculating that he could well be set to call time his career. Hamilton did of course return for 2022, but has struggled to recreate the form he has shown whilst dominating the sport in recent years.
This alongside him now being aged 37 has once again raised questions about his future, but if the comments from his boss Wolff are anything to go by, the Mercedes man is here to stay a little while longer.
Detailing a conversation between himself and Hamilton - where he confirmed his contract would be extended - Wolff told Channel 4 : "We are totally transparent with each other. We talk about the future also, and I think it’s very easy.
"Lewis will be the first one to say ‘I can’t do this anymore because I feel I haven’t got the reactions anymore, or I’ve just lost fun doing it and there is another generation growing up that’s just very strong’. So I have no doubt that whatever we agree on a contract extension, which is going to happen, that we both are always going to discuss very openly ‘what does the future hold?’
"The advantage is we speak a lot together, he lives here and I’m there [in Monaco]. And just last week we sat down and he says ‘well, I have another five years in me. How do you see that?’ I mean, he’s the shining star in Formula 1 on and off track.
"I think we would lose the greatest personality Formula 1 ever had.” During the interview, ex-F1 driver David Coulthard revealed he found it hard to imagine Hamilton still competing at the top level when he turns 40. Wolff however was not convinced.
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Using the example of one of Hamilton's great rivals Fernando Alonso - who is still competing at 41 - he commented: "I don’t know if 40 is that age where you say ‘well, that’s not adequate anymore for a racing driver’.
“If you look at where Fernando is with 41 years, he’s still very much there. Now is he the same Fernando he was at 25? I don’t know, but he’s very competitive still. I think Lewis, with the way he leads his life with the full, ultra-narrow focus on his Formula 1 racing – all the others are just hobbies – I think he can take it quite far.”
