Lewis Hamilton makes decision on F1 future amid Mercedes contract talks and retirement rumours
LEWIS HAMILTON wants to sign a new multi-year contract with Mercedes as he rallies against suggestions he will retire.
The seven-time world champion is out of contract at the end of this season but has always stated his intention to stay in F1.
But rather than agreeing a 12-month extension to his deal with Mercedes, worth £40million a year, he wants to open up discussions about a longer-term contract.
Hamilton, 38, said ahead of this weekend’s Miami GP that he is taking motivation from veteran basketball star LeBron James and NFL’s Tom Brady, by extending his career.
He said: “I’m not at the end of my career, I’m not in the downhill slope of my career. I’m in my prime.
“It all depends on how hard I want to work and keep myself in my prime, in terms of physical and mental capability.
“If you look at LeBron, if you look at Tom Brady, they have shown that it can be sustained for as long as you are dedicated enough to put the energy and time in.
“Right now, I don’t plan on changing, I only plan on adding to the drive and the motivation and to being better. I’m massively driven.”
With his future in the balance – at least contractually – there has been speculation linking Charles Leclerc with a move from Ferrari to become Hamilton’s replacement.
It is a rumour that Hamilton shot down as he repeated his desire to remain with the Silver Arrows.
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He added: “I’d be lying if I said I’d never thought about ending my career anywhere else. I started at McLaren, I’d like to think I’ll always be a part of the McLaren family.
“I started there when I was 13 years old [as a junior driver], so I thought about what it would look like if I was at McLaren one day.
“I thought about and watched the Ferrari drivers on the screens at the track and of course you wonder what it would be like to be in red…
“But then I go to my team, to Mercedes, and this is my home. I’m happy where I am. I haven’t signed a contract yet, but we are working on one.”
Hamilton is now set for the Miami GP this weekend with the track running around the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium.
He said: “The weather is insane, it’s one of the most gruelling tracks for us. Not only as drivers but also the car with this heat. It’s exciting to be here.
“But Miami is a dream for us to be here. In the States but also in a big important city like Miami where sports is huge here.
“You’ve obviously got the Miami Heat, the Dolphins. They are massive sporting fans.”
