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Lewis Hamilton previously confessed that he considered retiring before this year’s title fight with Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel. He claimed that the F1 life had lost a bit of its zest, and after claiming another Drivers’ Championship in 2017, the Mercedes pilot once again finds himself thinking about the future. In a recent interview with Motorsport, the 32-year-old Brit explained his current position, one that involves a bit of doubt and dose of reflection.
Hamilton’s current role with Mercedes expands through 2018, and with an extension possibly in the works, he claims that retirement has its allures.
“It’s like the weather. It’s about trying to find the balance,” said Hamilton. “I’ve currently got another year with the team and I do want to continue. But, I’m at that point where there’s that question.”
After October’s Mexico Grand Prix, Hamilton seemed sure about his career. Riding on the heels of his fourth world title, he shot down any comparisons between himself and his former teammate, Nico Rosberg, saying he won’t be leaving after being awarded the championship. But now, one month later, the downtime has suggested some highlights for the star.
“You can’t come back to F1. Whatever happens, you are gonna miss it. If it’s next year, if it’s five years from now, you’re gonna miss it when you finish.” Hamilton then added, “There’s a saying you stay as long as you can – I’m not quite sure about that exactly, but there is a lot of life left beyond it. There are things that I’ve missed in life.”
In the interview, Hamilton explained that the one thing he misses the most is consistency. Having entered Formula 1 in 2007, he’s had a full decade of travel and jet-setting. As he mentions, that could be enough.
“My auntie died from cancer and on her last day she said, ‘I’ve worked every day with the plan of stopping one day and doing all these different things, and then I ran out of time.’ So I’m battling with that in my mind.
“So I do live my life day-by-day and try to live it to the maximum. So that’s what I’m fighting with – I want to keep racing but there are these other things I want to do. I want my cake and I want to eat it. I just want to make sure I choose the right time, but I think I will.”
