Lewis Hamilton has set out the criteria by which he could know when it may be time to consider retiring from F1. The seven-time World Champion endured his most difficult season in the sport in 2022, with Mercedes struggling to match the pace of rivals Red Bull and Ferrari due to issues with the W13 car. This does not seem to have dented Hamilton's motivation, though. The Briton has previously declared that he hopes to sign a multi-year contract extension beyond his current deal, which expires at the end of 2023. Despite this, Hamilton feels he will know when it is time to think about walking away from Formula 1.
Hamilton reveals criteria for considering F1 retirement
When asked if the struggles of 2022 had had any impact on his thoughts over his future in the sport, Hamilton admitted that it is "difficult to say". "If we'd had a year like [2021 in 2022] and we were competing at the front all year, who knows where I would be," he told media, including RacingNews365.com . "But I think, each year, you have to ask yourself, are you willing to give as much – if not more – than you did when you first started? Are you willing to give up all the time to prepare and train and work with the team and deliver? "If there's ever a moment that I'm arriving and I'm just coasting along, then that's when I don't personally belong here and don't deserve a position here, and that's when I should stop. "[So] I question myself whether I'm able to do [those things], and do I want to do [them], and the answer is yes."
Hamilton motivated to fight back
Mercedes slipped to third in the 2022 Constructors' Championship after consecutively winning the title for eight years previously, while Hamilton ended the Drivers' Championship in P6, his lowest championship finish in F1. The 38-year-old remains motivated to fight back and help the team to return to the front. "We obviously have a championship that we need to get back," Hamilton said. "I love the mission and that challenge with my team. Every single person that's back here in the team [and] in the garage has given us so much time in their lives, on the road, year after year after year, and this one's been a really, really challenging one for us all, in so many ways. "But it's been beautiful to see the journey that everyone individually is going on, but also collectively how we've gelled together and pulled together." Hamilton admits that seeing his colleagues being "open" and expressing "vulnerability" during the tough times is a process he has been "grateful to be a part of". "I can't wait to [get to] the time when we get back to success, when we finally get that championship," he added. "It's going to make all of these tough moments worthwhile."
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