The 2022 season hasn’t gone quite as planned for Lewis Hamilton as the seven-time world champion has yet to win a race this season. But as some pose the retirement question, the Mercedes driver seems keen to stay in Formula One with a plan to sign a “multi-year” deal.
Team boss Toto Wolff said to Sky Sports F1 he expects an agreement during the winter even though Hamilton’s current contract is until the end of 2023. And, he thinks the 37-year-old can mirror the likes of Tom Brady with competing into his 40s.
“You can see today’s athletes pushing the boundaries in terms of age,” Wolff said Saturday. “For me, Fernando [Alonso] is performing at a very high level and you look, for me, at the best athlete in the world, Tom Brady, on the field being tackled and throwing a ball at 45 years old. As long as you continue to look after yourself and your cognitive sensors, I think he has many more years in him.”
After Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix (which the Brit qualified third for), there are just two races left on the 2022 calendar—Brazil and Abu Dhabi. The legendary driver is still on the hunt for his record-breaking eighth world championship, and six out of his seven titles were won with the Silver Arrows, his home for the last decade.
“We haven’t started any talks,” Wolff said Saturday. “We want to definitely finish the season and then find some quiet time over the winter like we did last time around.”
Hamilton is aware of the looming narrative of retirement as he’s the second oldest driver on the grid behind Alonso. He addressed this on Thursday.
“I’m sure for all of you in your careers and your jobs you probably have to analyze, what’s next,” he said. “Is there someone else you want to go? Is there somewhere higher you want to be? Is there room for growth in that role? I think that was perhaps something for me.
“Being a racing driver is a great thing, but I was trying to see, ‘how am I going to grow beyond this role?’ And I think you’re seeing that with the work we’re doing with Ignite, I’ve got Mission 44 now, Toto [Wolff] has been a great leader and enabled me to do things. He said to me in the past when Niki [Lauda] would say to him, ‘How do you let him do this?’ and then eventually they’re all coming round to the idea that supporting and enabling people to be their best is better for everybody’s interest.
“So I think I’m just in a happy place in my life, a lot more grounded. I’ve got my home that I get to spend time in in the UK when I come to see the team for example, and the family comes down. So it’s just a lot better set-up all-round, and I feel like I can take the team to more championships.”
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