Lewis Hamilton is simply the most successful driver in the history of F1 - he is the only one with 100 wins, he has the most pole positions and is equal with Michael Schumacher with 7 world championships, but now he is also the third-oldest driver on the grid at 36 only younger than Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso. Right now he's contracted to Mercedes till 2023 which means potentially he could win 10 titles in total, but he also has said that he often thinks about retirement in waves.
"That thought often happens to me. It's like a wave. It comes and goes. There have been many occasions in the last four or five years when I didn't know if I still wanted to try, to sacrifice myself with training at the expense of my personal life. There are other things I like to do. So many things I would like to try. But on the other hand, I tell myself I'm so lucky to be doing this job. In quite a long time, the career in the car becomes only a small part, there is plenty of time to retire," the world championship leader total Sky Italia.
Hamilton recently became the first man to win 100 F1 races
"It's a question of finding the balance. I tell myself that if I'm still hungry and train as I did as a kid, which I am doing, and if I still get great results...And [I'm] still hungry. If I find myself slower, without the strength to train, and unmotivated, then I'll know it's time to stop," he added.
Hamilton's motivation is also fuelled by the fact that he is now being challenged by the next generation - particularly Max Verstappen who has provided the fiercest challenge since he lost the world title to his former teammate Nico Rosberg. He will also have a new teammate in George Russell who has been anointed as his successor at Mercedes, having driven exceptionally well in the Williams which has been the slowest car on the grid since 2019.
