Lewis Hamilton dismissed the suggestion Max Verstappen's dominance is a motivation behind his desire to continue racing in Formula 1 longer than he had originally planned.
The Brit has said in the past he had no intention of continuing his racing career beyond his 40th birthday. But that looks set to change, with Hamilton now expected to sign a new extension to his contract, which is currently set to expire at the end of next season.
"I know what I want to do, I plan on staying longer – it's just not set in stone how long," he told reporters at Suzuka. He also went on to say he plans on working with Mercedes "for the rest of my life", with plans for project once his racing days are over.
But that is not expected to be any time soon – team boss Toto Wolff even thinks his star driver has another five years in him yet. Some have speculated Verstappen's dominance this season has inspired Hamilton to try to knock the Dutchman off his perch, but the Brit has moved to play down those suggestions.
Asked if Verstappen's achievements have motivated him to extend his F1 career, Hamilton said: "Less than you’d think – I think it's more just where I am in life. I've got great things happening outside, I've got a lot of freedom to be able to do things, I'm building things outside of the sport with my foundation I've just started and it will take a lot of work.
"There's a lot of work that still needs to be done in this sport and I can't retire now because I'm only just embarking in helping shift and create a more open and inclusive environment here in this sport, and I've got to stay to help that continue.
"Also, I feel healthier than I've ever been, just because of what I eat and how I prepare myself, and I love racing. I've been doing it since as long as I can remember, since I was five years old and that won't go away. If I'm still fit and able to focus, why would I stop? And I can still do the other things I want to do at the same time as well."
Hamilton also feels a responsibility to continue his important work promoting equality and inclusion. "It provides so many jobs for so many people and it has such a powerful platform to really shift narratives and it has a place where it can have a really positive impact on the environment – there's loads of things that we can do together and I want to be a part of that," he added.
"I want to be part of that shift and work process with Mercedes far beyond races and championships, but for now it's to win world championships and that's the immediate focus."
