Lewis Hamilton reveals F1 retirement plan as he admits ‘I don’t know how much longer I can go’ ahead of Ferrari move
LEWIS HAMILTON admits he cannot keep his medal to the metal forever.
The F1 great, 39, is set to join Ferrari next season.
Yet before making his debut for The Prancing Horse, he is already planning his dismount.
Asked if he had a timeframe by Esquire, he said: “I definitely do.
“There are days I’m like, shoot, I don’t know how much longer I can go.
“There are days I’m like, shoot, I’d love a break, a proper break, because you don’t get a real big break in the season like other sports.
“You don’t finish until mid to late December, and then you’re back into training already in January, and that’s two times a day you’re training.
“There are another couple of hours of therapy that you’re doing during that time as well. So you’re not really getting a huge amount of downtime.
“And in February, you’re flat out running until December.
“But I do have mentally a plan of where I would like to extend to.
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Inside track on Hamilton's life
LEWIS HAMILTON has driven his way into pole position as Formula One's most prolific winner.
The British speedster lives life in the fast lane both on and off the track, with a string of high-profile romances and jet-set lifestyle.
Hamilton made his name at McLaren and Mercedes but stunned the racing world by signing a £100million deal to join Ferrari for next season.
His exploits have seen him rub shoulders with Hollywood icon Brad Pitt but Lew snubbed the chance to feature in Top Gun 2.
And fans can follow his fortunes on the latest season of Netflix’s smash hit Drive To Survive.
Hamilton’s talent saw him go from humble origins in Stevenage to boasting an £11m car collection.
He joined celeb dating app Raya after splitting from Brazilian beauty Juliana Nalu.
And his exes are said to include Rita Ora, Rihanna and Nicole Scherzinger.
Hamilton was embroiled in a bitter feud with Nico Rosberg but the pair buried the hatchet to sport £35k watches they were given for FREE.
He also shared high-profile battles with Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.
But his most shocking showdown saw Max Verstappen handed the World Championship over him by a controversial safety car decision.
The Brit is chasing a record eighth world title – the first of which came in 2008 and has seen Felipe Masa sue F1 for £62m after a crash saw him miss out.
Check out all our Lewis Hamilton articles here.
“I’ve just got to strategise and sequence things. I’m very much about sequencing, like looking at brands that I collaborate with, companies that I’m essentially starting, how I manage my time between all those, and how I’m able to dedicate myself to this job still.
“Is there a time when I’m not all in and I’m just not in love with it anymore?
“That’s the moment that hopefully never happens, in the sense that I’ve fallen out of love with it.
“But I will know when I need to stop.”
Hamilton won the Belgian GP in dramatic style last month after team-mate George Russell was disqualified hours after the race had finished.
The stewards found that Russell’s car – which ran a one-stop strategy – was underweight after it was drained of fuel during the usual post-race checks.
It was Hamilton’s second victory in three races going into F1’s summer break, with Max Verstappen topping the standings.
The Dutch Grand Prix will see the competition resume next weekend.
F1 2025 grid
Here are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season so far:
Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes: George Russell and TBC
McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Williams: Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz
Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg and TBC
Alpine: Pierre Gasly and TBC
RB: Yuki Tsunoda and TBC
Haas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon