Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he is uncertain about his future as a driver in Formula One, as he doesn’t want to miss out on other things in life.
Lewis Hamilton, 32, is coming off of his 11th season of full-time competition in Formula One dating back to the 2007 season. This past season, he racked up nine victories to bring his career win total to 62, and he secured his fourth career championship, his third in the past four seasons, a four-year span during which he won a record 40 races.
But the four-time champion who trails only the great Michael Schumacher in career Formula One victories and trails only Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio in career Formula One championships has admitted that his future in the sport is anything but certain.
Here is what Hamilton had to say about the uncertainty surrounding his future in the sport, per Motorsport.com.
"“It’s like the weather. It’s about trying to find the balance. I’ve currently got another year with the team and I do want to continue. But, I’m at that point where there’s that question.You can’t come back to F1. Whatever happens, you are gonna miss it. If it’s next year, if it’s five years from now, you’re gonna miss it when you finish.“There’s a saying you stay as long as you can – I’m not quite sure about that exactly, but there is a lot of life left beyond it. There are things that I’ve missed in life.”"
You can read Hamilton’s full interview here, as he goes on to touch on some personal topics that may influence his future decisions as well.
Hamilton is under contract with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport through the 2018 Formula One season, which is set to be his sixth season with the team in his 12th season of competition. But so far, there is nothing lined up for him within the sport after that.
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With how much he has accomplished throughout his Formula One career in terms of wins and championships, Hamilton would really have no reason to continue driving after 2018. What does he have left to prove? But even so, his future is considered uncertain for a reason, as he definitely hasn’t ruled out staying in the sport, either.
The one thing that could potentially be a factor if he does indeed stay in the sport is trying to catch and perhaps pass the career win and championship totals, which are 91 and seven, respectively, that Michael Schumacher recorded over the course of his 17-year full-time career in the sport. But Hamilton himself has stated that catching Schumacher in those categories really isn’t a pressing goal that he has despite many fans wanting to see him catch and pass both of those records.
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With Lewis Hamilton’s future in Formula One currently unclear, we can only wonder when he may decide to hang up his helmet and where he will end up in the list of the all-time greats when he does indeed do so. The key word here is “uncertainty”, and that word is one that Hamilton also admits he is dealing with in this situation.