Lewis Hamilton has hinted that he does not intend to still be in Formula 1 when he reaches his forties, suggesting that his current contract with Mercedes could potentially be his last. The Briton turned 37 in January, and is set to remain with the Silver Arrows until the end of the 2023 campaign. This will bring him up to the point of nearly being 39. It has not been unheard of in recent times for drivers to continue in the sport past 40, with Kimi Raikkonen retiring last year at the age of 42, whilst Fernando Alonso made his comeback to F1 at 39. The Spaniard will turn 41 this summer and shows no signs of wanting to walk away from Formula 1. Hamilton, however, isn't convinced that he himself will still be competing at that age.
Hamilton 'doesn't plan' on being in F1 into his forties
With rival Max Verstappen having signed to stay with Red Bull until 2028, Hamilton was quizzed at the pre-season test in Bahrain on whether he intended to keep the rivalry going by continuing to race into his forties. The Mercedes driver admits that it is not something he has given a great deal of thought to, but as things stand he does not see himself being in the sport for that long. "I haven't thought about that number," Hamilton told media including RacingNews365.com . "Because I'm 37, I've still got a bit to go, so I honestly haven't thought about that. "I don't plan on being here close to that age, so hopefully I'll have some other fun things to get on with."
Vettel also plans to walk away before 40
Hamilton is not the only one with plans to step away from the sport before entering his forties. Sebastian Vettel has previously said that, unlike Alonso, he does not intend on being in F1 at that age. The Aston Martin driver turns 35 this year. "No, I don't think so," Vettel said last year when asked if he would still be racing in Formula 1 at 40. "But, as you asked Fernando [who said he hadn't expected being in F1 at 40], you never know, but right now I would say no."
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