Lewis Hamilton stated that Formula 1 has never featured a driver like him in its 70-year history and reaffirmed his ambition to continue racing into his mid-forties. The seven-time world champion expressed his desire to stay in the sport to fulfill a long-standing dream of racing in Africa, following F1’s 10-year agreement to host a Grand Prix in Rwanda starting in the early 2030s.
Racing into His Forties
When the Rwandan Grand Prix takes place, Hamilton will be at least 45 years old, matching the age of Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso. Speaking at a news conference ahead of the Mexico Grand Prix, Hamilton explained that he views himself as a special case regarding age and performance.
Addressing potential doubts about aging in the sport, Hamilton said, “Of course there are challenges up ahead that I can’t foresee that come with age. But along this journey there have been so many pre-conceived ideas like that your reaction time drops off.”
He added, “Did you see my reaction time in the last race? It was faster than some of the youngest people here.”
Hamilton emphasized his ongoing commitment, noting, “As long as you are willing to sacrifice everything, which I am right now – I can’t say in four years whether I will want to continue doing what I’m doing – but I am still all in. I will be for the foreseeable future.”
Championship Battle and Ferrari Performance
Fernando Alonso turns 46 next summer and recently suggested he may continue racing for another season beyond his current contract. Meanwhile, Hamilton is currently involved in a tight contest to secure second place in the drivers’ championship.
The Ferrari driver is competing against four other racers to finish behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, who is 21 years younger than Hamilton. Antonelli is positioned to secure his maiden world title in Mexico City, while only 31 points separate second-placed George Russell of Mercedes and sixth-placed Lando Norris of McLaren.
Hamilton sits in third place in the standings, trailing Russell by one point, while holding a five-point advantage over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and an eight-point lead over his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. Following a difficult debut season with Ferrari, Hamilton has experienced a much stronger campaign this year, which included a victory at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in June.
Reflecting on his future and performance, Hamilton concluded, “Time will tell whether I’m here in the 2030s. I never want to overstay my welcome in the sense of not having the performance. I don’t want to be driving around with that having really dropped off. Everyone assumed that last year and I have proved everyone wrong. I’ll continue to try to do so.”
