Hamilton admits surprise over F1 career longevity

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he is surprised by the longevity of his Formula 1 career.

Ahead of the Italian Grand Prix weekend, Mercedes confirmed that Hamilton would stay until at least the end of the 2025 season.

It means that the seven-time World Champion will be 40 years of age when his latest contract expires in just over two years' time.

Hamilton is currently the second oldest driver on the grid, behind only former McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso, who is three-and-a-half years his senior.

"Yeah, definitely," Hamilton told media including RacingNews365 when asked if he was surprised by his the length of his stint in F1, which stands at 323 starts as of the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix.

"I definitely didn’t think that I'd be the age I am and feel the way that I do physically and mentally and still love what I'm doing as much as I do.

"That's something I'm incredibly grateful for."

Hamilton 'still loves' F1

Despite a run of unprecedented success followed by a drop down the pecking order in the last two years, Hamilton asserts that he has not fallen out of love with the sport.

"I think a lot of people stay in the same jobs and roles for a long period of time and fall out of love with it but keep going because it's maybe the only thing they can do," he said.

"But for me, I genuinely still have that love for what I’m doing. I still love getting in the car. I still love racing with my peers, working alongside [race engineer Peter Bonington] and all the guys in the team, chasing that common goal and dream.

"I love that feeling. And when you have the lows together and when you have the highs together - there's nothing like it."