Hamilton wants to race on into his mid-forties and says he was "built differently"
Hamilton wants to race on into his mid-forties and says he was "built differently"
Lewis Hamilton says he plans to keep racing in Formula 1 into his mid-forties, and he believes the sport has never had a driver like him. Speaking at a news conference before the Mexico Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion said F1 has "never had anyone like me in the 70 years" of its history. BBC Sport
Hamilton is 41 and drives for Ferrari. He said he feels he was "built differently" from other drivers, and he reaffirmed his determination to stay in the car for years to come.
Africa is a big part of his reasoning. He said he wants to carry on in F1 to fulfil a dream of racing on the continent, a cause he has pushed for many years. Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Hamilton said he could keep going now that an African race is being planned. Reuters
That plan is now concrete. Formula 1 has signed a 10-year deal with Rwanda, with the race due to start in the early 2030s. The Rwanda Grand Prix will be the first F1 race in Africa since 1993, a gap of more than three decades.
The timing matters for Hamilton's own career. He was asked whether he can keep racing into the 2030s, and his answer tied that ambition to the Rwanda race. A driver who starts a deal in his early forties would need to be competitive well into that period to reach it.
Hamilton's age has been a talking point before. In 2020, at 35, he said he did not think he would still be racing in Formula 1 in his forties. Formula 1 He is now 41, and the goalposts have moved.
His form has also shifted in recent seasons. He left Mercedes for Ferrari, a move Fernando Alonso called a surprise when it was announced. Hamilton's first season in red was a difficult one, and Reuters reported in March that he had come back strongly in the races that followed. Reuters He also won the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in June.
Hamilton has not said how long he intends to race beyond the Rwanda plans. What he has made clear is that he sees himself as a driver who can go on for longer than most, and that the African race is part of why he wants to.
