Lewis Hamilton has confirmed that he has a plan in place with regards to his future at Mercedes, suggesting that he is not looking to retire any time soon.
The Brit has had a tough year with the Silver Arrows, with the W13 being no match for the Red Bull and Ferrari cars, who had mastered the regulation changes a lot better than the team from Brackley.
In recent weeks Hamilton has finally had the car to compete for race wins again, finishing second in both Austin and Mexico, being a different tyre strategy from a victory both times.
The seven-time world champion has confirmed that he does not intend to retire when his contract expires, instead planning to sign a new one and continue his successful relationship with Mercedes.
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“I plan on staying longer. It’s just not set in stone how long,” he said when asked about his contract situation.
“I’m feeling good. I love what I’m doing. We have a lot of work to do, a lot to achieve still. I’m not planning on going anywhere, any time soon.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has told his driver to take inspiration from Fernando Alonso, who the Austrian believes is still at the top of his game at 41 years of age.
In the modern day of sport science it is a lot easier for athletes to perform at an older age, and 37-year-old has claimed that he has been looking after himself as he progresses in to the latter stages of his career.
“In terms of my physical well-being, I feel the best I’ve physically ever been because I’ve been really focused on that as you get older,” he told reporters.
“I’m generally loving driving so I’m working on a plan. I can’t tell you what that is just yet, but there is no limit to what we can do.”
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Hamilton has always had an eye for the technical side of Formula 1, often being involved in changes to his car and set-up, and this has lead some to believe that this is an avenue that the Brit could explore as part of a post racing role at the team.
“I want to be creative and continue to do all the other things I get to do. I get to be myself at this team – and the support from Mercedes has been incredible since day one.
“Together, it’s not about winning, we can be part of the many people in the world that are trying to change the world for the better – and that’s what we can try and do together, as it’s a huge brand that can have a huge influence on the world.”