Lewis Hamilton responds to key F1 question: 'You've never had anyone like me here'

Lewis Hamilton has insisted that F1 has "never had anyone like me" before, as he fielded a question about his potential participation in the African Grand Prix. 

Earlier this month, as revealed by RacingNews365 and then formally announced by F1, the championship will return to the continent of Africa for the first time since 1993 with a grand prix in Rwanda sometime in the next decade.

F1 is hopeful that the event, due to be held at a purpose-built track near the capital, Kigali, will host its first race in the "early 2030s", with seven-time champion Hamilton declaring previously that he would not retire from F1 until the series had raced in Africa. 

As per the "early 2030s" timeline, Hamilton will turn 45 in January 2030, with old rival Fernando Alonso currently at that age, with the Spanish racer going to turn 46 midway through the 2027 season.

Hamilton, who is statistically the greatest driver of all time with 106 wins, 104 poles and 208 podiums to go with his seven titles, would be nearing 500 grands prix by the end of the 2030 season, if he does not take a sabbatical and starts every race between now and then. 

Questioned whether he could make it to the first race in Rwanda, Hamilton was in a punchy mood ahead of his 399th F1 race.

"I mean, firstly, you've never had anyone like me here in the 70 years, so I feel that I'm built differently," Hamilton declared to media, including RacingNews365.

"Of course, there are challenges up ahead that I can't foresee that come with age, but along this way, along this journey, there have been so many preconceived ideas about the fact that your reaction time drops off. 

"Did you see my reaction in the last race? My reaction is faster than some of the youngest people here, so there are lots of tools that you can utilise to continue to keep yourself and your mind sharp. 

"I guess as long as you're willing to sacrifice everything, which I am right now. I can't say in four years whether I want to continue to do what I'm doing, but I love what I'm doing still now. 

"I'm still all in, and I will be for the foreseeable future. Whether or not I can compete at 44 with a 20-year-old, who knows? But at 41, I can compete with a 20-year-old, so time will tell whether I'm here in the 2030s; we'll see."

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'Not outstaying my welcome'

However, Hamilton did also add that he would not "outstay my welcome" - but pointed to his remarkable turnaround in form from his dreadful 2025 season at Ferrari.

For the first time in his then 19-year F1 career, Hamilton failed to score a grand prix podium as he struggled with the final ground effect Ferrari - but bounced back to take a first podium for the Scuderia in the Chinese GP, and then added his name to the drivers who had won for the team with victory in Barcelona.

"I never want to overstay my welcome in the sense of still not having the performance," he added.

"I don't want to be walking, driving around with that really dropping off, that my reactions have dropped off, that my driving has dropped off, and my pace has dropped off, which everyone has seen last year, but I proved everyone wrong with that, and I'll continue to try to do so."